Tag: operations (Page 6 of 20)

Spirit AeroSystems Reports Third Quarter 2021 Results

November 4, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Spirit AeroSystems Reports Third Quarter 2021 Results

Delivered 250 shipsets, compared to 206 in Q3 2020; delivered 47 737 shipsets in Q3 2021 compared to 15 in Q3 2020
Revenue of $980 million in Q3 2021, compared to $806 million in Q3 2020
Cash guidance unchanged: full-year 2021 cash used in operations is expected to be between $(50) to $(150) million; full-year 2021 free cash flow* is expected to be between $(200) and $(300) million
EPS of $(1.09) in Q3 2021 compared to $(1.50) in Q3 2020
Established business divisions to focus on key growth markets: Commercial, Defense & Space, and Aftermarket; Segment reporting change beginning Q4 2021

Spirit-Aerosystems-Q3-2021

Embraer Eve and Helipass Partner to Expand UAM Operations in France and Beyond

September 20, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Melbourne, Florida, September 20, 2021 – Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions and Helipass, SAS, today announced a new collaboration to accelerate and deploy electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, also known in the market as EVA (Electrical Vertical Aircraft), across France and Europe. The partnership aims to fly Eve’s electric aircraft for a total of 50,000 flight hours per year. This could lead to an optional increase of 100,000 annual flight hours across Helipass’ network.

Helipass plans to open digital bookings on its platform to offer an innovative and seamless user experience to customers throughout its network. To support the expansion of this partnership, Eve will work with Helipass to develop training, on-site support, and technical publications to facilitate the launch of EVA commercial operations.

Following the commercial introduction of the EVA, which is planned for 2026, both companies will endeavor to launch Eve’s EVA aircraft across Helipass’ markets. These flights will include sightseeing, city and airport transfers, as well as a growing on-demand service.

Both parties will look into growing the service beyond this agreement to include additional use cases, as well as the requisite services needed to support the scalability of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) products in Helipass’ core markets.

Pentagon and Lockheed Martin Agree To F-35 Sustainment Contracts

September 16, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The F-35 Joint Program Office awarded the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) industry team annualized contracts covering fiscal years 2021-2023 to support operations and sustainment of the global F-35 fleet, supporting mission readiness and further reducing costs.

The annual contracts fund critical sustainment activities for aircraft currently in the fleet and build enterprise capacity to support the future fleet of more than 3,000 F-35 aircraft. This includes industry sustainment experts supporting base and depot maintenance, pilot and maintainer training, and sustaining engineering for the U.S. and our allies across the globe. It also covers fleet-wide data analytics and supply chain management for part repair and replenishment to enhance overall supply availability for the fleet.

The FY2021-2023 contracts represent a planned next step in further reducing overall operations and support costs for the F-35 program, which are shared between government and industry. Lockheed Martin has reduced our cost per flight hour by 44% in the past five years, with a forecasted reduction of an additional 40% in the next five years. The cost savings in the FY21-23 annualized sustainment contracts support Lockheed Martin’s efforts to realize these goals. The savings will be achieved through improved cost and velocity in our supply chain, continued reliability improvements, and greater manpower efficiencies to provide product support solutions across the growing, global fleet. We remain committed to partnering with our customers and teammates to drive F-35 sustainment costs down.

The contracts also pave the way for a longer-term, Performance Based Logistics (PBL) agreement for the F-35 program. PBLs are an industry best practice, facilitating agile sustainment solutions for the fleet and incentivizing even further affordability and performance results.

The F-35 Joint Program Office, together with each U.S. service, international operators and the F-35 industry team, leads F-35 sustainment and the Global Support Solution. The 2021 annualized sustainment contract will cover industry sustainment activities through Dec. 31, 2021.

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.

Alstom to Provide Additional 64 Commuter Trains to Hamburg, Germany

September 12, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom and S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH have signed a contract for the delivery of an additional 64 Class 490 S-Bahn trains. The order is an option from a framework contract signed in 2013 and is valued at around 500 million euro.

As with the previous trains, passengers will enjoy the proven amenities of these three-car electric multiple units, but with the addition of some new improvements to better meet the needs of Hamburg’s passengers. For example, the new S-Bahn train’s middle cars will feature a multipurpose area with room for bicycles, luggage, and dedicated spaces to accommodate passengers with limited mobility.

However, the train’s most significant innovation will be invisible to passengers. For the first time in Germany, S-Bahn trains will be equipped with the European Train Control System (ETCS) Baseline 3 Release 2 and automated train operation (ATO) technology. Together, these technologies will ensure denser and more frequent service and enable Hamburg to provide more fluid transport while increasing the overall number of train journeys. In addition, the flexibility of Hamburg’s new S-Bahn trains means that they will couple with the 82 Class 490 S-Bahn trains already in service.

Photo of main Hamberg train station from author’s visit in 2016.

This order marks Germany’s first implementation of ATO in automation level 2 (GoA 2) for new S-Bahn vehicles. In addition, S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH will receive vehicles that already comply with the latest state-of-the-art signalling technology. The trains will be delivered with Alstom’s intelligent onboard technology for ETCS, with integrated ATO software that meets the high demands of future digital rail operations in terms of performance, availability, and automation.

Initially, Alstom will manufacture three vehicles that will undergo extensive testing and inspection, in particular for approval of their ETCS and ATO functionalities. Vehicle deliveries to Hamburg are scheduled for 2025 and 2026.

Among others, Alstom’s sites in Hennigsdorf, Bautzen (production), Berlin (signalling), Braunschweig, Siegen and Mannheim, Germany, will be involved in the production of the new S-Bahn trains. This is in addition to sites in Charleroi, Belgium (ETCS), Wroclaw, Poland, Västeras, Sweden and Vadodara, India, which will also participate in production.

In Germany, Alstom offers innovative solutions for sustainable mobility and is one of the leading suppliers of railway technology with metros, suburban trains, trams, regional trains, locomotives and signalling solutions. Our trains travel from Schleswig-Holstein to Bavaria. More than 70% of high-speed trains running in Germany are equipped with Alstom’s ETCS signalling solutions. In Lower Saxony, Alstom is building the world’s first fuel cell-powered, completely emission-free Cordia iLint regional train in series production. Alstom is Germany’s only manufacturer of infrastructure, signalling and digital mobility solutions to provide maintenance, service and modernisation of all mass transit trains for all manufacturers’ series, as well as information systems.

The Republic of Kazakhstan Orders Two Airbus A400M Aircraft

September 1, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Getafe, Spain, September 1, 2021 – The Republic of Kazakhstan has placed an order for two Airbus A400M aircraft and becomes the ninth operator together with Germany, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Malaysia and Luxembourg.

With delivery of the first aircraft scheduled in 2024, the contract includes a complete suite of maintenance and training support. Together with the agreement a Memorandum of Understanding has also been signed to collaborate on Maintenance and Overhaul services and with a first step of creating a local C295 maintenance centre.

With the capacity to accommodate the country’s inventory and conduct military, civil and humanitarian missions, the A400M will enable Kazakhstan to quickly respond to any mission by rapidly deploying game-changing capabilities over long distances and enabling effective access to remote areas.

Boeing Reports Second Quarter Results

July 28, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] reported second-quarter revenue of $17.0 billion, driven by higher commercial airplanes and services volume. GAAP earnings per share of $1.00 and core earnings per share (non-GAAP)* of $0.40 primarily reflects higher commercial volume and lower period costs (Table 1). Boeing recorded operating cash flow of ($0.5) billion.

“We continued to make important progress in the second quarter as we focus on driving stability across our operations and transforming our business for the future,” said Boeing President and Chief Executive Officer David Calhoun. “While our commercial market environment is improving, we’re closely monitoring COVID-19 case rates, vaccine distribution and global trade as key indicators for our industry’s stability. As we continue to position for a robust recovery, we remain committed to safety and quality, while investing in our people, products and technology. I am proud of our team’s resilience and commitment as we work to rebuild trust, improve our performance and deliver for our commercial, defense, space and services customers.”

As part of Boeing’s ongoing focus on global sustainability, the company published its first integrated Sustainability Report in July. “This was an important step in our continued efforts to reinforce our Environmental, Social, and Governance principles,” Calhoun said.

Click the link below to read the full press release!

https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2021-07-28-Boeing-Reports-Second-Quarter-Results

Small Ship Cruise Line Windstar Resumes Operations in Tahiti for Vaccinated Guests

July 17, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Seattle, Washington, July 16, 2021 – U.S. headquartered small ship cruise line Windstar Cruises has resumed cruising this week in French Polynesia/the Islands of Tahiti with vaccinated guests + crew aboard the line’s 148-passenger Wind Spirit sailing ship. Half of the line’s six yacht fleet is now back in the water cruising.

To celebrate Wind Spirit’s return, the line has added free drinks to its already enticing bundled pricing.

Windstar offers a convenient Air + Hotel package from Los Angeles International Airport that includes the round trip Air Tahiti Nui flight from Los Angeles, pre-cruise accommodations and a post-cruise day room, ground transfers in Tahiti, and a seven, 10, or 11 night boutique cruise in French Polynesia. Now on cruise vacations including air and hotel booked during the promotional period ending July 30, 2021, guests also receive the promise of a free beverage package (with unlimited select spirits, wine, beer, cocktails, and minibar items), guaranteeing an extra Mai Tai or three beneath a palm tree. If guests don’t imbibe, they can alternately choose shipboard credit to put towards other experiences, like a relaxing onboard spa treatment or shore excursions such as SCUBA diving, reef snorkeling, or even harvesting Tahitian black pearls.

Windstar typically sails year-round from Tahiti, where cruises take place on Wind Spirit, a 148- guest motorized sailing yacht specifically designed for the region and capturing the South Pacific trade winds in its billowing sails. However, Windstar’s reimagined, new all-suite Star Breeze yacht carrying 312 guests will begin sailings in the region on September 19 and will remain on a limited engagement in Tahiti until March of 2022, giving guests a unique chance to sail on the larger, more amenity-intensive yacht in gracious ocean view 277 square feet suites. Windstar offers guests a complimentary private event on their Tahiti cruises: a private beach party and locally sourced feast on one of Bora Bora’s tiny motus, followed by a kinetic fire-dancing performance. It is available on all sailings/both yachts.

Windstar is returning to operations in a phased manner, with its fleet of six yachts debuting on various dates through November, while requiring vaccines of all passengers amongst a host of health and safety precautions including testing, social distancing, masks, and high-tech air filtration. On June 19, Windstar’s Wind Star yacht resumed revenue operations in Greece, and on July 10, Windstar’s Star Breeze began sailing in the Caribbean, both with vaccinated guests and crew.

Windstar has plans to resume sailing on the following yachts in 2021 with vaccinated guests + crew:

Wind Surf – August 8, 2021 – Mediterranean

Star Legend – September 4, 2021 – Northern Europe

Star Pride – November 3, 2021 – Caribbean

For more details on Windstar Cruises, visit www.windstarcruises.com

Lockheed Martin and NASA executives officially opened the STAR Center in Florida on July 15.

Lockheed Martin Opens Orion Spacecraft Advanced Manufacturing Facility

July 15, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

TITUSVILLE, Florida, July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] opened its Spacecraft Test, Assembly and Resource (STAR) Center today. The STAR Center features business and digital transformation innovations that will expand manufacturing, assembly and testing capacity for NASA’s Orion spacecraft program and ultimately, future space exploration.

Lockheed Martin currently assembles the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I and II Moon missions at the nearby Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout (O&C) building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The addition of the STAR Center provides much-needed space for the new production phase of Orion, allowing future Orion spacecraft – starting with the Artemis III mission – to be built faster.

Lockheed Martin acquired the building that formerly housed the Astronaut Training Experience attraction and spent 18 months and nearly $20 million renovating and modernizing the 55,000 square-foot space into a digitally-transformed factory of the future.

Boeing Company Announces Second Quarter Deliveries

July 13, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today major program deliveries across its commercial and defense operations for the second quarter of 2021.

“We continue the work to deliver on our commitments to our commercial, defense, space and services customers, while positioning our business for a stable and strong recovery from the pandemic. In the second quarter, we made progress in safely returning the 737 MAX to service in more international markets and increasing the pace of 737 deliveries,” the company said.

As Boeing has previously shared, the company has been engaged in detailed discussions with the FAA on verification methodology for 787 fuselages, and conducting associated inspections and rework. In connection with these efforts, the company has identified additional rework that will be required on undelivered 787s. Based on our assessment of the time required to complete this work, Boeing is reprioritizing production resources for a few weeks to support the inspection and rework. As that work is performed, the 787 production rate will temporarily be lower than five per month and will gradually return to that rate. Boeing now expects to deliver fewer than half of the 787s currently in inventory this year.

“We will continue to take the necessary time to ensure Boeing airplanes meet the highest quality prior to delivery. Across the enterprise, our teams remain focused on safety and integrity as we drive stability, first-time quality and productivity in our operations,” the company added.

Major program deliveries during the second quarter were as follows:

Major Programs	2nd Quarter 2021	Year-to- Date 2021

Commercial Airplanes Programs
737	50		113
747	1		2
767	8		13
777	8		14
787	12		14
Total	79		156

Defense, Space & Security Programs
AH-64 Apache (New)	6		15
AH-64 Apache (Remanufactured)	16		31
CH-47 Chinook (New)	3		6
CH-47 Chinook (Renewed)	1		4
F-15 Models	5		8
F/A-18 Models	7		11
KC-46 Tanker	2		4
P-8 Models	3		6
Commercial and Civil Satellites	—		—
Military Satellites	—		—

Note: Delivery information is not considered final until quarterly financial results are issued.

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