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Airbus Delivers A400M to Luxembourg’s Armed Forces

October 11, 2020 /

The Luxembourg Armed Forces have taken delivery of its Airbus A400M military transport aircraft, which was accepted at the A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville (Spain) and has performed a ferry flight. It will make a first stop in Luxembourg before continuing its journey to the 15th Wing Air Transport in Melsbroek (Belgium), where the joint airlift unit between Belgium and Luxembourg will be based. With this delivery, Luxembourg becomes the seventh A400M operator.

The aircraft, known as MSN104, will be operated by the Luxembourg Armed Forces and Belgium within a binational unit, together with the seven A400M ordered by Belgium, which is due to receive its first aircraft in the coming weeks.

Alberto Gutierrez, Head of Military Aircraft at Airbus Defence and Space, said: “I welcome Luxembourg to the growing A400M user community. With 94 aircraft in service, the A400M is increasingly becoming the air mobility backbone of our customers, both in civil and military environments, as seen in recent COVID-19 crisis missions around the globe.”

The A400M recently achieved additional capabilities such as simultaneous paratrooper dispatch for a maximum of 116 paratroopers using the side doors, automatic low level flight in visual meteorological conditions (the only military transport aircraft with this capability), and aerial delivery and combat off-load that allows a single 16-tonne load to be dropped automatically via parachute extraction. In addition, 25 tonnes can be gravity dropped and the manual combat offload of up to 19 tonnes on pallets (one pass) or 25 tonnes (two passes) on an unpaved runway is possible, which is unprecedented. With regards to helicopter air-to-air refuelling operations, the A400M recently achieved the first successful wet contacts with a H225M helicopter.

NATO Support & Procurement Orders Additional Airbus A330

October 5, 2020 /

Airbus has received a firm order for an Airbus A330 MRTT Multi-Role Tanker Transport from OCCAR, Europe’s organisation for the management of cooperative armament programmes.

The order, which OCCAR has placed on behalf of NATO’s Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA), follows the decision from Luxembourg to maximize its participation into the Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) programme with a significant increase from 200 to 1,200 the number of flight hours contracted. The aircraft is part of the three additional options originally included in the contract and will increase the MMF fleet to nine aircraft.

This new order comes after the successful delivery of the first two aircraft, with training and operational activities already in place. The additional aircraft will provide greater availability of the MMF fleet, enabling other NATO nations to cover their needs in air-to-air refuelling, strategic transport and medical evacuation.

The MMF programme is funded by the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Germany, Belgium and Czech Republic who have the exclusive right to operate the NATO–owned aircraft in a pooling arrangement, a prime example of European operational defence collaboration. The aircraft will be configured for in-flight refuelling, the transport of passengers and cargo, and medical evacuation operations.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) initiated the MMF programme in 2012. OCCAR manages the MMF acquisition phase as Contract Executing Agent on behalf of NSPA. Following the acquisition phase, NSPA will be responsible for the complete life-cycle management of the fleet.

The A330 MRTT combines the advanced technology of a new generation tanker with the operational experience recorded during more than 200,000 FH in service. The A330 MRTT is interoperable with receivers worldwide and delivers true multi-role capabilities as proven during the recent MEDEVAC and strategic transport missions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Embraer Announces Phenom 300MED Light Jet Medevac Solution

August 9, 2020 /

Embraer today announced the Phenom 300MED, a unique Medevac solution for Phenom 300 series aircraft, which is also available for retrofit, through a partnership with umlaut and Aerolite. Embraer and umlaut are jointly developing and certifying a new supplemental type certificate (STC) utilizing Aerolite equipment.

The Phenom 300MED, which is now available for customer configuration, is representative of Embraer’s modern and versatile product portfolio and the company’s intent to deliver the ultimate experience in business aviation, now including the Medevac segment. Designed as an ideal solution for both civil and government applications, the Medevac solution will be installed exclusively by Embraer’s award-winning Services & Support organization, ensuring the highest quality, reliability, and service experience, direct from the manufacturer.

Together, Embraer and umlaut are developing a comprehensive set of configuration alternatives for the Phenom 300MED, which will feature either one or two stretchers, as well as the ability to carry an incubator and additional medical equipment. The aircraft will also feature hospital-grade trim and finishing. As a purpose-built Medevac solution, created in collaboration with the leading companies in the industry, the Phenom 300MED is designed to be quickly and easily configured to meet the various needs of both healthcare providers and patients.

The Phenom 300MED benefits from the platform’s heritage of best-in-class cabin pressurization, low operating costs, high mission flexibility, state-of-the-art avionics, plus its speed and range capabilities. With best-in-class cabin altitude of 6,600 feet, passengers and crew enjoy more oxygen in the cabin. This feature equates to a healthier flight experience, which is essential for medical staff and patient care.

The Phenom 300MED is further distinguished by the integration of Aerolite medical equipment. Aerolite is a leader in the design, engineering, production, and installation of Air Medical interiors. With over 500 Medevac interiors delivered, the company offers the ideal blend of equipment for the mission.

Ronald Hengartner, CEO of Aerolite, said, “We are honored that Embraer and umlaut have selected Aerolite’s innovative aeromedical equipment for the new Phenom 300MED. From providing the most modern EMS interior solutions to offering customer-specific support and training, Aerolite is uniquely positioned to help deliver the ultimate Medevac solution.”

Embraer’s products, including the Phenom 300 series, are recognized for high reliability and utilization. More than 550 Phenom 300 series aircraft have been delivered since the aircraft entered the market in December 2009, and it has accumulated more than one million flight hours. According to VREF’s 15-year business aircraft residual value forecast, the Phenom 300E will retain one of the highest residual values in the industry.

Boeing Building 4 Additional 702X Satellites for mPOWER Fleet

August 8, 2020 /
  • Expanded SES constellation to deliver enhanced global connectivity services

Boeing [NYSE: BA] has received a contract to build four additional 702X satellites from SES as the leading global content connectivity provider  increases the number of O3b mPOWER satellites in its Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) to 11.

These four additional O3b mPOWER satellites will enhance SES’s next-generation MEO constellation throughput and efficiency as well as expand its unique capabilities to deliver connectivity services ranging from 50Mbps to multiple gigabits per second to a single user. The system will allow telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, enterprises, aircraft and ship operators, and more, to connect with their core network or extend cloud access worldwide.

Boeing is currently building the first seven O3b mPOWER satellites for SES. The first set of satellites will be launched in late 2021.

SES’ O3b mPOWER software-defined satellites are based on Boeing’s multi-orbit 702X satellite portfolio, which employs Boeing’s most advanced digital payload to date. The O3b mPOWER satellite constellation will integrate with existing network architectures to deliver global, end-to-end managed network services on land, sea and in the air.

Additionally, Boeing and SES have agreed to collaborate to develop commercially-based service offerings and capabilities that can be derived from current and future SES MEO satellites. Working together, the companies will develop resilient, interoperable MILSATCOM-COMSATCOM architectures to provide U.S. and other government users with robust connectivity across mission domains.

The 702X is a family of software-defined satellites that incorporates digital processors, advanced thermal management, optimized manufacturing technologies and simplified ground resource management tools. With thousands of beams that are formed in real time and can be pointed and shaped where needed, 702X allows operators the flexibility to specifically distribute power and bandwidth among users, maximizing useable capacity and eliminating wasted energy.

EasyJet Says Can Ride Out 9 Month Shutdown and Slow Recovery

April 18, 2020 /
FILE PHOTO: EasyJet planes parked at Luton airport after the airline grounded its entire fleet

LONDON (Reuters) – EasyJet can survive a nine-month shutdown thanks to its measures to contend with the coronavirus crisis and is planning for a slow recovery, the British airline said on Thursday.

As airlines worldwide battle for survival after lockdowns and travel bans brought the sector to a virtual standstill, EasyJet announced a new fleet plan to manage its emergence from the enforced hibernation.

The UK-based company said it will start to shrink its fleet and the number of planes it operates will not reach pre-crisis levels until 2022, signalling that it does not expect a quick recovery for the industry.

“We’ve been able to adapt ourselves to reduced demand for the next couple of years, then have the flexibility to increase as demand picks up again,” Chief Executive Johan Lundgren told reporters.

The industry is split on how quickly the sector can recover. Lufthansa, plane manufacturers and airline body IATA have warned that it will be a slow process. EasyJet’s bigger low-cost rival Ryanair, meanwhile, has predicted a swift rebound in traffic.

Lundgren said that, while he does not expect the grounding of easyJet’s fleet to last nine months, the company would remain cash-positive even if that were the case and could survive for longer than that by seeking additional funding.

Among the steps it is taking, easyJet is in talks over the sale and leaseback of some planes to leasing companies, with expected proceeds of up to 550 million pounds ($687 million).

“Overall, the company has presented a very credible response to the crisis,” said Goodbody analyst Mark Simpson.

In addition to the deferral of new orders and non-renewal of leases, easyJet said it now plans to sell six aircraft.

The airline, however, has faced calls from its founder and biggest shareholder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, to terminate its 4.5 billion pound order with Airbus for 107 new jets.

He escalated his row with management on Thursday, issuing a statement saying he planned to call for the removal of Lundgren as well as chairman John Barton at forthcoming meetings. He said Lundgren should not send money to Airbus for planes while running an “aircraft parking lot”.

CASH PILE

Through various funding initiatives, easyJet expects to generate total additional liquidity of about 1.85 billion to 1.95 billion pounds, leading to a notional cash balance of about 3.3 billion pounds.

Given the level of continued market uncertainty, the company said it is not possible to provide guidance for the remainder of the 2020 financial year.

However, it said winter bookings are well ahead of those at the same stage last year, with Lundgren adding that he expects there to be pent-up demand for holidays as people emerge from lockdown.

But travel restrictions are likely to ease slowly and easyJet will have to be flexible, the CEO said. “I don’t think this is going to be a case of let’s just open everything up,” he added.

Measures under consideration include disinfecting aircraft and steps to ensure social distancing on planes.

“We will clearly look to have the middle seat empty as we start,” Lundgren said. “I think that is actually what the customers would like to see.”

EasyJet shares were up 2.2% at 616 pence at 1207 GMT, having lost more than 50% year to date.

($1 = 0.8007 pounds)

(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate Holton and David Goodman)

Boeing Extends Suspension of Puget Sound Production Ops

April 6, 2020 /

Boeing is extending the temporary suspension of production operations at all Puget Sound area and Moses Lake sites until further notice. These actions are being taken in light of the company’s continuing focus on the health and safety of employees, current assessment of the spread of COVID-19 in Washington state, the reliability of the supply chain and additional recommendations from government health authorities.

During the suspension, the company will continue to implement additional health and safety measures at its facilities to protect employees. These measures include new visual cues to encourage physical distancing, more frequent and thorough cleaning of work and common areas and staggering shift times to reduce the flow of employees arriving and departing work, among many other improvements.

“The health and safety of our employees, their families and our communities is our shared priority,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Deal. “We will take this time to continue to listen to our incredible team and assess applicable government direction, the spread of the coronavirus in the community and the reliability of our suppliers to ensure we are ready for a safe and orderly return to operations.”

The volunteers who have been supporting essential site and services work should continue to report to their assigned shifts. Puget Sound area and Moses Lake employees who can work from home should continue to do so.

As the suspension of operations continues, Boeing will monitor government guidance and actions on COVID-19 and associated impact on all company operations. Boeing sites that remain open are being monitored and assessed on a daily basis.

American Airlines Extends Change Fee Waivers for Travel Purchased Through April 30

April 1, 2020 /

American Airlines is providing customers additional flexibility in purchasing travel in light of concerns around the coronavirus (COVID-19).

American has extended its offer to waive change fees for customers who purchase travel through April 30. Customers will have even more flexibility since any ticket purchased by April 30 will not incur change fees prior to travel. The offer is available for any of American’s published non-refundable fares. Additional updates on existing travel alerts can be found on aa.com/travelalerts.

  • Any ticket purchased from March 1 at 4:30 p.m. CT through April 30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. CT will not incur change fees prior to travel.
  • This is available for any of American’s non-refundable published fares.

The Qantas Group Completed New Round of Debt Funding

March 25, 2020 /

The Qantas Group has completed a new round of debt funding, securing $1.05 billion in additional liquidity to strengthen its position as it manages through the Coronavirus outbreak.

This debt has been secured against part of the Group’s fleet of unencumbered aircraft, which were bought with cash in recent years. The loan has a tenure of up to 10 years at an interest rate of 2.75 per cent.

This funding increases the Group’s available cash balance to $2.95 billion with an additional $1 billion undrawn facility remaining available.

The Group’s net debt position remains at the low end of its target range, at $5.1 billion, with no major debt maturities until June 2021. In line with the rest of the Qantas debt book, the new funding contains no financial covenants.

With a further $3.5 billion in unencumbered assets, the Qantas Group retains flexibility to increase its cash balance as a prudent measure in the current climate. As previously announced, various steps have been taken to significantly reduce activity levels and costs given the dramatic revenue impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and the related travel restrictions on Jetstar and Qantas passenger services.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “Over the past few years we’ve significantly strengthened our balance sheet and we’re now able to draw on that strength under what are exceptional circumstances. Everything we’re doing at the moment is focused on guaranteeing the long term future of the national carrier, including making sure our people have jobs to return to when we have work for them again.”

Seven of the Group’s 11 wholly-owned Boeing 787-9’s have been securitised against this funding.

American Airlines Announces Additional Schedule Changes in Response to COVID-19

March 15, 2020 /

American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) will implement a phased suspension of additional long-haul international flights from the U.S. starting on March 16. This suspension will last through May 6. This change is in response to decreased demand and changes to U.S. government travel restrictions due to coronavirus (COVID-19). The airline will:

  • Reduce international capacity by 75% year over year — from March 16 to May 6
  • Continue to operate one flight daily from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to London (LHR), one flight daily from Miami (MIA) to LHR and three flights per week from DFW to Tokyo (NRT)
  • Continue short-haul international flying, which includes flights to Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America and certain markets in the northern part of South America, as scheduled

In addition to the international changes, the airline anticipates its domestic capacity in April will be reduced by 20% compared to last year and May’s domestic capacity will be reduced by 30% on a year over year basis.

International Route Changes

By region, the new schedule changes include the following: 

Asia, effective March 16 

  • American will suspend all remaining flights to Asia, except for three flights per week from DFW to NRT 

Australia and New Zealand, effective March 16

  • Suspending service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Auckland (AKL) effective March 16, which was slated to end seasonal flying on March 28
  • Suspending service from LAX to Sydney (SYD) effective March 16

Europe, phased suspension 

  • American will continue to operate one flight daily from DFW to LHR and MIA to LHR
  • Suspending flights from New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), and LAX to LHR gradually over the next seven days to reaccommodate passengers and crew
  • LHR, Dublin (DUB) and Manchester (MAN) flights from Charlotte (CLT), Philadelphia (PHL) and Phoenix (PHX) will be suspended faster, as these airports are not approved gateways by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Final eastbound flights from CLT, PHL and PHX will be on March 15; final westbound flights returning from LHR, DUB and MAN will depart March 16
  • Continued suspensions in other parts of Europe, as previously announced, including the delayed start of some seasonal routes as well as flights to and from Amsterdam (AMS), Barcelona (BCN), Frankfurt (FRA), Madrid (MAD) and Munich (MUC) Paris (CDG) and Zurich (ZRH) through early May, or later, based on guidance from the U.S. government and customer demand 

South America, effective March 16 

  • Suspending service from JFK and MIA to Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and Georgetown, Guyana (GEO)
  • Suspending service from DFW, JFK and MIA to São Paulo (GRU)
  • Suspending service from DFW and MIA to:
    • Chile: Santiago (SCL)
    • Colombia: Bogota (BOG)
    • Ecuador: Guayaquil (GYE) and Quito (UIO)
    • Peru: Lima (LIM)
  • Suspending service from MIA to:
    • Brazil: Brasilia (BSB) and Manaus (MAO)
    • Colombia: Barranquilla (BAQ), Cartagena (CTG), Cali (CLO), Medellin (MDE) and Pereira (PEI)

These capacity reductions assume no slot waivers are in place other than those previously granted. At airports where demand exceeds airfield and/or terminal capacity, access is governed by slots that grant airlines permission to take off and land at specific times. Given the decrease in demand related to COVID-19, American has requested temporary relief from this usage requirement — otherwise known as requesting a slot waiver — to better align capacity with demand without the risk of losing valuable takeoff and landing slots for the future. American will continue to review its network and make adjustments as needed if waivers are granted.

Wynn Resorts to Temporarily Close Wynn Las Vegas

March 15, 2020 /

LAS VEGAS (March 15, 2020)– Wynn Resorts has decided to temporarily close Wynn Las Vegas and Encore as part of its continuing effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus).

The Company has committed to pay all full-time Wynn and Encore employees during the closure.

The closure will be effective Tuesday, March 17 at 6 pm and is expected to be in effect for two weeks, after which time the Company will evaluate the situation. A limited number of employees and management will remain at the resort to secure and maintain the facility. For additional information and updates, please visit www.wynninfo.com.

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