Fiji Airways, Fiji’s National Airline, is proud to announce a significant milestone on our journey towards a more sustainable future for aviation.
Today, Fiji Airways’ newest Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft, named the Island of Vatulele, arrived into Nadi, Fiji from Singapore, having flown the entire 8,520 km journey powered by a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend.
This is the first time ever that Fiji Airways has operated a flight using a SAF blend.
Mr. Andre Viljoen, Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO, said that this inaugural SAF blend – powered flight demonstrates Fiji Airways’ commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and ensuring a sustainable future for aviation.
National Jet Express (NJE), a member of the Rex Group, will shortly take delivery of another De Havilland Dash 8-400NG ‘Next Generation’, fitted with 82 seats.
This will be the ninth Dash 8-400NG to join the NJE fleet and the second to be deployed to support and grow NJE’s long term contract with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) after starting operations for the mining giant on 1 July, 2023.
It will enter service in October and operate additional flights to the mining community of Moranbah in the Bowen Basin, 1000 kilometres north of Brisbane.
NJE is also in the advanced stages of negotiation for two further contracts in the mining and construction industries, which are expected to see Dash 8-400NG services expand across other areas of Queensland.
Galactic 03’ to Fly Three Virgin Galactic “Founder” Customers
Flight Window Opens September 8, 2023
Company’s Fourth Spaceflight in Four Months
Orange County, California, August 28, 2023 – Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) today announced the ‘Galactic 03’ flight window will open on September 8, 2023, continuing a monthly cadence of spaceflights. This would be the Company’s fourth spaceflight in four months.
The three ‘Galactic 03’ crew members are the first of Virgin Galactic’s group of ‘Founder’ astronauts – the first customers whose forward-thinking vision and early ticket purchases helped make the dream of regular commercial spaceflights a reality.
The ‘Galactic 03’ crew bought their tickets as early as 2005 and, since then, have been an active part of the Company’s vibrant Future Astronaut community. This community – comprised of approximately 800 individuals representing over 60 different countries – enjoys access to distinctive experiences designed to inspire and to enrich their spaceflight experience.
The pilots for ‘Galactic 03’ are VSS Unity Commander Nicola Pecile, VSS Unity Pilot Michael Masucci, and the Astronaut Instructor is Colin Bennett.
In the past twelve weeks, Virgin Galactic has introduced eleven new astronauts to the world. Following the ‘Galactic 03’ spaceflight, the customers on board would become Virgin Galactic astronauts 014, 015 and 016.
Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will launch a nonstop daily service between Tokyo International Airport and Honolulu International Airport on Oct. 28, 2023. The Haneda-Honolulu nonstop service will begin Oct. 29, 2023. This is the first time Delta has offered a service between Haneda and Honolulu after all Tokyo operations were moved from Narita Airport to Haneda in March 2020, the start of which was delayed due to the pandemic.
Delta’s Haneda-Honolulu flight will operate on a Boeing 767-300ER, offering Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin options.
Delta One customers can stretch out in a full flat-bed seat and enjoy premium amenities like artisan-made Someone Somewhere amenity kits, plush bedding made from recycled materials, additional beverage options before take-off, chef-curated meals and decadent desserts like a build-your-own ice cream sundae.
Meanwhile, customers flying in Delta Premium Select will have more space to relax in a wider seat with a deeper recline and an adjustable footrest and leg rest, along with an elevated dining experience, premium hand-crafted amenities and dedicated service touchpoints to further elevate their journey.
Customers in every cabin enjoy seat-back screens featuring hours of complimentary premium entertainment via Delta Studio, in-seat power, high-speed Wi-Fi available for purchase (to be for free by the end of 2024) and free mobile messaging. Delta partners with renowned Chef Norio Ueno to create the Japanese menu served in all cabins.
Eligible customers have access to the Delta Sky Club at both Haneda and Honolulu airports.
Delta schedule* for Haneda (HND) – Honolulu (HNL) flights:
Virgin Australia will launch the country’s first-ever airline baggage tracking tool across more than two thirds of its domestic network tomorrow, allowing guests to know where their bag is at every step of the journey.
With digital tracking now part of everyday life, Virgin Australia’s new seamless travel experience is the latest instalment of the airline’s broader transformation program.
The tool, which has been two years in the making, comes as lost baggage remains a pain point for travellers across the globe. Despite this, Virgin Australia far outperforms the industry average for mishandled baggage, with a mishandled baggage rate of around 1.5 per 1,000 guests – five times better than the last recorded industry average.
The first-to-market technology is set to free guests from the fear of losing their bags next time they fly, with Virgin Australia anticipating a rise in guests checking in baggage as a result of the new tracking tool.
Initially piloted in May 2023, the tracking tool will be available on most domestic routes between major airports, including Sydney-Melbourne, Brisbane-Sydney, Melbourne-Gold Coast, Melbourne-Hobart, Adelaide-Melbourne, Sydney-Sunshine Coast, and more (refer Notes to Editor). The airline’s remaining domestic network, including select services departing Perth, are expected to feature the tracking tool soon.
Olathe, Kansas, August 23, 2023 — Garmin (NYSE: GRMN) today announced it has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the GFC™ 600 digital autopilot in Beechcraft King Air F90 aircraft. The GFC 600 digital autopilot is optimized for turbine aircraft, delivering superior in-flight characteristics that reduce workload and bring new operational capabilities such as Vertical Navigation (VNAV)1, automatic Course Deviation Indicator (CDI) switching when paired with a GTN Series navigator, enhanced go-around capabilities including missed approach sequencing — and much more.
The GFC 600 certification for the King Air F90 provides owners and operators with an autopilot upgrade that boasts superior integration potential with G600 and G600 TXi™ flight displays, the GI 275 electronic flight instrument, as well as the GTN™ and GTN Xi Series of navigators. The self-contained autopilot controller incorporates backlit keys and a bright, sunlight readable display that depicts autopilot status and mode selection. An intuitive built-in control wheel also provides convenient adjustment of aircraft pitch, airspeed and vertical speed modes. When the level button is selected, the aircraft automatically returns to straight-and-level flight.
Environmentally hardened autopilot servos designed for harsh operating conditions contain brushless DC motors offering improved performance and reducing maintenance requirements when compared to decades-old servo designs on the market today. In addition, these servos offer more torque to help pilots better respond to demands required of turbine aircraft.
Standard mark-width (6.25-inch) design of the GFC 600 mode controller ensures the autopilot controller allows for routine installation into the aircraft’s avionics stack. In King Air F90 aircraft, GFC 600 will require a G600 TXi or G600 flight display.
In addition to traditional autopilot capabilities such as altitude hold, vertical speed and heading modes, the GFC 600 includes:
Premium functions and advanced capabilities such as altitude pre-select2 and indicated airspeed hold mode.
Ability to select, couple and fly various instrument approaches, including GPS, ILS, VOR, LOC and back course approaches.3
Built-in GPS roll steering capability eliminates the need for external roll steering converters and allows for smoother navigation tracking when installed with a compatible navigator.
Level Mode button, which automatically engages the autopilot to restore the aircraft to straight and level flight.
Underspeed and overspeed protection.
Yaw Damping (YD) mode minimizes yawing oscillations while also helping to maintain coordinated flight.
Flight Director command bars can be displayed on a flight display such as the G600 and G600 TXi.
Coupled ‘go-arounds’ for pilots to fly during missed approach sequencing. A remotely installed go-around button commands the Flight Director to display the appropriate pitch attitude required for the missed approach procedure and activates a loaded missed approach when paired with a GTN 650/750 or GTN 650Xi/750Xi navigator.
Included pitch-trim servo adds automatic trim and improved manual electric trim.
Control wheel steering is available, which allows the pilot to adjust pitch, roll, altitude hold, vertical speed or airspeed references using the control yoke while the autopilot is engaged.
Toulouse, France August 25, 2023 – National flag carrier Air New Zealand (OTC: ANZLY) and world’s number one regional aircraft manufacturer ATR, today announced the signature of a firm order for two brand new ATR 72-600 plus options for two more. Deliveries are scheduled for the second half of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. Air New Zealand will then operate the fourth largest ATR fleet worldwide.
These additional aircraft will support the airline’s growth, further strengthening its network across New Zealand. The lowest-emission regional aircraft on the market, these brand new ATR’s will be equipped with PW127XT engines, delivering an additional 3% fuel burn reduction compared to previous engine version, enabling a 45% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to similar-size regional jets.
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand’s story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today the airline has 104 operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320’s to ATR’s and Q300’s. Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the U.S., and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework helps guide the airline’s efforts in tackling some of New Zealand’s and the world’s most complex challenges.
(Reuters) – Australia’s Qantas Airways (OTC: QABSY) on Thursday announced an order for 24 widebody aircraft, the final piece of the company’s jet fleet renewal program, and said the move is aimed at replacing its current Airbus A330 and Airbus A380 aircraft.
The multi-billion dollar order is split between 12 Airbus (OTC: EADSY) A350’s and 12 Boeing (NYSE: BA) 787’s, which will arrive from fiscal 2027 and into the next decade, Qantas said.
Mumbai, India – A.P. Moller – Maersk (OTC: AMKBY) has the ambition to be Net Zero across business and provide customers with 100% green solutions by 2040. To achieve this goal, there is a strong need to decarbonise logistics at every stage. It is important not only for Maersk to achieve these sustainability goals but for the customers too, who are demanding environmentally friendly solutions that would decarbonise their supply chains.
In September 2022, Maersk unveiled its three-wheeler and four-wheeler EV’s in Mumbai, India and soon rolled them out for its first customer in the NCR region. Since then, the awareness around EV’s that can support distribution logistics in India has risen, and with that has come an unprecedented demand from several customers.
Maersk has recently tied up with a large e-Commerce platform in India to support its distribution requirements with a dedicated fleet of EV’s that range in the capacity of 550 to 700 Kgs with a driving range of over 120 km. Over 200+ vehicles have already been deployed across 15 cities, and more than 300 EV’s.
So far, Maersk’s EV fleet has covered more than 135,000 km. Maersk is also investing in creating a charging network for its fleet of EV’s, including the option to harness solar energy at its own facilities for warehouses across the country.
Los Angeles, California, Business Wire – Today Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) announced long-term lease contracts for five Boeing 737 aircraft with Royal Air Maroc (RAM), including four new Boeing 737-8s and one Boeing 737-800. The new aircraft are scheduled to deliver to the Moroccan flag carrier in 2024 from ALC’s order book with Boeing. These new contracts are augmenting already placed ALC owned aircraft operated by RAM.
Air Lease Corporation is a leading global aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California that has airline customers throughout the world. ALC and its team of dedicated and experienced professionals are principally engaged in purchasing new commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions. The company routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the “Investors” section of its website at www.airleasecorp.com. Investors and potential investors are encouraged to consult Air Lease Corporation’s website regularly for important information. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, ALC’s website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
