Arlington, Virginia, September 27, 2021 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered the first of 78 contracted Block III F/A-18 Super Hornets to the U.S. Navy. Block III gives the Navy the most networked and survivable F/A-18 built with a technology insertion plan that will outpace future threats.
Block III’s new adjunct processor translates to a fighter that will do more work and in far less time increasing a pilot’s situational awareness. The jet is ready to receive apps-based solutions that will allow upgrades to the aircraft throughout its life span.
Boeing will continue to deliver Block III capabilities to the Navy through the mid-2030s from three lines. One new build production, and two Service Life Modification lines extending the life and eventually upgrading Block II Super Hornets to Block III. The first aircraft delivered will complete the U.S. Navy flight test program before deploying to a squadron.
F/A-18 Block III Delivery_Building 75, Aircraft Delivery Service Center_St. Louis, MO. MSF21-0031 Series.
Aviation International News (AIN) and Pro Pilot magazines recently released the results of their annual customer support surveys for 2021 for the business jet industry.
For the third consecutive year, Dassault (OTC: DASTY) Aviation was ranked “top” in the AIN survey.
Its industry leading “overall average” score was 8.7 (the highest for any company in the history of the survey), up from 8.3 in 2020. Dassault took top scores in parts availability, parts cost, AOG response, warranty fulfillment, technical manuals, and technical representatives. The company also earned a 9.2 mark for overall aircraft reliability.
Click on the link below to visit the Dassault Falcon Website!
Japan Airlines (JAL) has requested for approval from Japan`s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) to set the level of fuel surcharge on international passenger tickets purchased in Japan between October 1 and November 30, 2021.
JAL sets fuel surcharge levels bimonthly based on the two-month average price of Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel. The price of Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel during the two-month period of June and July 2021 averaged USD76.67 per barrel, which accounted for JPY8,449 in the average exchange rate of JPY/USD 110.19 during the same period.
As a result, with reference to the fuel surcharge benchmark list for FY2021, this corresponds to Zone C. From October 1 to November 30, 2021, the fuel surcharge will range from JPY600 on a Japan-Korea ticket to JPY11,600 on a Japan-USA ticket per person per sector flown, for travel originating in Japan.
Fuel Surcharge for the period: October 1 ~ November 30, 2021
(*1) Russia -> Irkutsk (*2) Russia -> Novosibirsk – For full details about JAL’s fuel surcharge policy, please refer to http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inter/if.html – The surcharge applies to flights operated by Japan Airlines as well as code-share flights operated by other airlines. – The planned level of fuel surcharge is subject to government approval.
Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Manufacturing Facility at the Skunk Works® in Palmdale, California, merges the power of human and machine - manufacturing artisans will work with digital tools to execute operations with maximum efficiency. Manufacturing and office space will accommodate 450 employees.
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has completed construction of an advanced manufacturing facility at its Palmdale, California, campus.
The 215,000 square foot intelligent, flexible factory has digital foundations to incorporate smart manufacturing components, embrace the Internet of Things and deliver cutting edge solutions rapidly and affordably to support the United States and its allies. This is one of four transformational manufacturing facilities Lockheed Martin is opening in the U.S. this year.
This new building incorporates all three of Lockheed Martin’s advanced production priorities: an intelligent factory framework; a technology enabled advanced manufacturing environment; and a flexible factory construct to support customer priorities with speed and agility while bolstering manufacturing capability in the United States.
Merging the power of human and machine, manufacturing artisans will work with digital tools to execute operations with maximum efficiency. The incorporation of robotics, artificial intelligence and augmented reality reduces the need for hard tooling, elevating the human experience to drive rapid innovation, a hallmark of the Skunk Works.
In addition to manufacturing, the facility includes office and break spaces to accommodate more than 450 employees. The company has created over 1,500 new jobs for California since 2018.
This project is the cornerstone of over $400 million in capital investments being made across Lockheed Martin’s Palmdale campus to address growth in support of its customers’ missions.
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works is responsible for many aerospace firsts, including the United States’ first jet fighter (P-80), the world’s first stealth fighter (F-117) and the world’s first 5th generation fighter (F-22). With a proven way of working based on 14 simple rules, the Skunk Works is known for rapidly solving urgent national needs. With eight Collier trophies and a National Medal of Technology and Innovation awarded from the office of the President of the United States, the Skunk Works continues to define what is next in aerospace.
Embraer has signed a long-term Pool Program agreement with CommutAir, a United Express carrier, to support the airline’s ERJ 145 jet fleet. This new contract includes full repair coverage for components and parts, as well as access to a large stock of components at Embraer’s distribution center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Currently, the Pool Program supports more than 50 airlines worldwide.
With a total of 168 aircraft under lease, CommutAir now maintains the largest ERJ 145 fleet in the world, recently becoming the sole regional partner to operate the ERJ145 for United Airlines. Under this agreement, CommutAir and United will consolidate their ERJ 145 spare component inventory with Embraer’s Pool program to improve stock levels and reliability. In April 2021, CommutAir selected Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services (EAMS) in Macon, Georgia, as one of its primary heavy maintenance providers for the airline’s fleet of ERJ145 aircraft. The agreement includes airframe maintenance, modifications and repair services.
Embraer’s Pool Program is designed to allow airlines to minimize their upfront investment on high-value repairable inventories and resources and to take advantage of Embraer’s technical expertise and its vast component repair service provider network. The results are significant savings on repair and inventory carrying costs, reduction in required warehousing space, and the virtual elimination of the need for resources required for repair management, while ultimately providing guaranteed performance levels.
Textron Aviation today announced its flagship Cessna Citation Longitude super-midsize business jet achieved certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), clearing the way for customer deliveries to begin in the region.
The Cessna Citation Longitude super-midsize business jet is designed, produced and delivered by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company.
The largest jet in the Cessna Citation lineup, the Longitude was designed with business and return on investment at the forefront, with the lowest direct operating cost of any super-midsize jet. Capable of flying from Geneva to Dubai or Rome to New Delhi, the Longitude offers class-leading comfort, the quietest cabin in class, and advanced connectivity for those focused on staying productive in the air.
As a clean-sheet aircraft, the Longitude was designed with innovation front of mind, and a cabin experience shaped around customer input and a broad range of mission capabilities.
The Longitude is backed by Textron Aviation’s extensive global customer service network, providing customers with direct access to nearly 3,000 expert employees, including service representatives offering maintenance, inspections, parts, repairs, avionic upgrades, equipment installations, refurbishments and other specialized services.
A third Falcon 6X recently took flight and joined Dassault Aviation’s flight test campaign, moving the new long-range extra widebody twin a step closer to anticipated certification in 2022.
Falcon 6X s/n 003 is fitted with a full interior and will be used for cabin design validation. The aircraft completed a two-hour maiden flight from Dassault’s Bordeaux-Mérignac final assembly plant to its Istres flight test facility on June 24, climbing to Flight Level 400 and accelerating to a cruise speed of Mach 0.85. The first 6X flew on March 10 and the second on April 30.
Aircraft no. 3 is outfitted with the Falcon 6X’s award winning interior, including in-flight entertainment and communications systems. In addition to testing this equipment, the aircraft will be used to evaluate environmental features and temperature control and validate cabin acoustics systems, which alongside those on the ultra long-range Falcon 8X trijet are expected to be the industry reference.
A fourth aircraft will also be equipped with a full cabin interior, currently being installed in Mérignac. It will conduct a two-month global endurance flight campaign intended to ensure that all 6X systems are fully mature upon entry into service.
Production of additional units is in full swing, with aircraft no. 10 scheduled to be on the final assembly line by beginning of July. The Falcon 6X has received several prestigious design awards, including the Red Dot prize for premium cabin design. The aircraft was recognized this month as the “Best of the Best” in aviation by the Robb Report luxury-lifestyle magazine, which noted: “Dassault’s newest aircraft pairs size with technology to create an award-worthy new class of business jet.”
Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) delivered the first limited-edition Phenom 300E aircraft—part of the Duet collaboration with Porsche (OTC: POAHY) – to an undisclosed customer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The aircraft was delivered at Embraer’s state-of-the-art Global Customer Center in Melbourne, Florida.
Duet marks the first-ever true collaboration between leading aviation and automotive manufacturers, pairing the fastest and longest-ranged single-pilot certified jet with the gold standard in production sports cars, the Porsche 911 Turbo S. Embraer and Porsche, both known for world-class engineering, performance, and design, worked in tandem to create a seamless experience from ground to air using matching design elements that are only available in this pairing. Only ten of this limited-edition pairing will ever be produced.
As the world’s fastest and longest-ranged single-pilot business jet, the Phenom 300 series transformed the light jet category. With its unparalleled technology, comfort, and performance, the Phenom 300E sets the highest standard of excellence through best-in-class cabin altitude, high mission flexibility, low operating costs and the best residual value in the industry. The 911 is the heart of the Porsche product portfolio and has one of the longest and most celebrated traditions in the automotive industry. The 911 Turbo S represents the pinnacle of the 911 models and delivers exceptional performance combined with a high degree of everyday usability.
Duet brings the Phenom 300E and the 911 Turbo S into perfect harmony as design inspiration for the aircraft mirrors that of the car, and vice versa. Starting with seats, the sew style on the Phenom 300E seats were patterned after that of the 911 Turbo S. Both vehicles’ seats also feature red pull straps, a Speed Blue accent stitch, and carbon fiber shrouds. The flight deck seats were also redesigned to match the seats of the car. On the exterior, both aircraft and car share a matching paint pallet and scheme, complete with a custom two-tone paint finish and hand-painted pinstripes in Brilliant Chrome and Speed Blue, creating a fluid aesthetic throughout both performance machines.
The Qantas Group is preparing for continued growth in domestic travel demand, with additional aircraft to be made available for Qantas and Jetstar flying.
Additional E190’s for QantasLink
The national carrier today announced an expansion of its three-year deal with Alliance Airlines, which provides QantasLink with capacity using Alliance’s Embraer E190 regional jet aircraft and the flexibility to respond to changing market conditions.
The expanded agreement will see the airline increase its options under this deal from 14 jet aircraft to a total of 18. Of this, three are already flying with another five to enter service by October. The E190s will be painted in QantasLink livery and are part of Qantas growing its domestic capacity to at least 107 per cent of pre-COVID levels in FY22.
The first of the 94-seat E190 jets started flying on the QantasLink network last month. The jet’s five-hour range makes it well suited to linking regional centres with smaller capital cities. The introduction of E190s also frees up Qantas’ Boeing 737 aircraft to be redeployed across the domestic network, enabling the airline to launch a number of new routes and add frequencies on existing ones.
Canberra-Adelaide is the latest route to benefit from additional flights made possible by the E190, with frequencies to double from nine per week to 18 per week from mid-July.
Jetstar boosts its Australian-based A320 fleet
Demand for low-cost leisure travel remains strong due to closed international borders and structural changes in Australia’s aviation market. As a result, Jetstar’s Australian domestic network is set to grow to 120 per cent of its pre-COVID schedule in FY22.
To help meet the increased demand, three Airbus A320 aircraft will be temporarily redeployed from Jetstar Asia in Singapore while international travel in the region faces a slower recovery.
These aircraft join the six Airbus A320 aircraft on loan to Jetstar Airways from Jetstar Japan and up to five Boeing 787-8 aircraft set to operate domestically until international travel resumes.
– Wide body aircraft to operate to Palma de Mallorca from both Frankfurt and Munich
– First departure planned from Frankfurt on July 17 and on July 31 from Munich
– Tickets now available for booking
Lufthansa is taking extraordinary measures in order to respond to a significant increase in booking demand for flights to Palma de Mallorca from both Frankfurt and Munich. The booking figures for the destination “PMI” have increased 25 times between April and the beginning of June 2021: The airline will be operating a Boeing 747-8 from Frankfurt to Palma de Mallorca four Saturdays in a row during the upcoming summer vacation in Hesse. Additionally, the airline also plans to operate an Airbus A350 from Munich to the Balearic Island at the start of the summer vacation in Bavaria. Although these routes are normally operated by an Airbus A321, on 31 July, two wide-body Lufthansa aircraft will be arriving on Palma de Mallorca.
Departing Frankfurt with the “Jumbo”
The Boeing 747-8 is the largest aircraft that Lufthansa is currently operating, offering up to 364 seats instead of the usual 215, which are normally available on this route. This wide-body aircraft offers passengers 88 Business Class seats (including First Class) as well as 276 seats in Economy Class (including Premium Economy).
The first “Jumbo” flight, LH1152, will be departing the Rhine Main metropolis on Saturday 17July at 10:20 a.m., just in time for the start of the Hessian summer vacation, and arrive at Palma de Mallorca airport at 12:25 p.m. The return flight, LH1153 will take place the same day at 14:25 p.m., arriving in Frankfurt at 16:45 p.m.
The modern and kerosene-efficient Boeing 747-8, also known as the “Queen of the Skies”, will operate for an addition three weekends, specifically on 24 July, 31 July and 7 August.
Departing Munich with the Airbus A350
The Airbus A350 is the most sustainable long-haul aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet. It consumes 20 percent less kerosene and is 50 percent quieter than previous models. Those who want to experience the Lufthansa Airbus A350 along with its multi-award-winning cabin now have the chance to do so now. The aircraft offers 293 seats, including 48 in Business Class and 245 in Economy Class (including Premium Economy).
The A350 flight to Palma de Mallorca will take place at the start of the Bavarian summer vacations on Saturday 31 July. Departure from Munich is planned for 9:50 a.m. under flight number LH2658, arriving in Palma de Mallorca at 12:00 a.m. The return flight, LH2659, will take place the same day at 13:30 a.m. arriving in Munich at 15:35 p.m.
