DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 9, 2021, PRNewswire – The new Boeing [NYSE: BA] 777X arrived at Dubai World Central at 14:02 p.m. (GST) today, ahead of the upcoming Dubai Airshow. The airplane will be on static display and featured in the show’s flying program starting November 14.
The 777-9 flight test airplane made a nearly 15-hour nonstop flight from Seattle’s Boeing Field to Dubai, the first international flight and longest flight to date for the 777X as it continues to undergo a rigorous test program.
Building on the best of the industry-leading 777 and 787 Dreamliner families, the 777-9 will be the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet, delivering 10% better fuel use, emissions and operating costs than the competition and an exceptional passenger experience. The 777X family has a total of 351 orders and commitments from eight leading customers around the globe. First delivery of the airplane is expected in late 2023.
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.
Drone Delivery is Now a Reality // Mesa and Flirtey
RENO, Nev., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Mesa Air Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MESA), has signed an agreement with aerospace technology company Flirtey to order 4 delivery drones, with an option to order an additional 500 aircraft. The agreement marks Mesa becoming the first scheduled airline to launch drone delivery in the U.S.
Mesa and Flirtey are initially focusing on the last-mile food delivery industry, enabling Mesa to expand beyond the global airlines market and into the global food service market. The immediate goal of the partnership is to conduct commercial drone deliveries in the last-mile food and beverage market in the U.S. The parties plan to expand the drone delivery service in the U.S. and New Zealand.
With this agreement, Flirtey, the aircraft designer and manufacturer, is supplying it’s best-in-class technology including the Flirtey Eagle, an electric powered, advanced drone that conducts precision delivery to homes and businesses, and Flirtey’s autonomous software platform that conducts autonomous flight operations, for Mesa to operate commercial drone delivery.
The partnership will prioritize operational excellence and data collection, enabling rapid expansion with Mesa’s operational experience as a leading regional air carrier with approximately 450 daily departures across the U.S. and Flirtey’s technical experience having conducted over 6,000 drone delivery flights in the U.S. with its technology protected by over 1,000 patents claims issued and pending in the U.S. and worldwide. Flirtey recently expanded production of delivery drones to meet growing demand. Flirtey’s aircraft are made in USA.
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 agreement calls for a phased introduction of Saab (OTC: SAABF) Digital Towers for up to six airports and three centres in Belgium. The framework agreement has a fixed part and a conditional part for a total value of just over 48 million Euro, spread over 18 years. The first phase will cover the airports of Liege and Charleroi and a centre in Namur. Delivery to skeyes will start in 2022, with initial operations to be started in 2024. Aviation is an integrated part of the infrastructure in Belgium, and the Digital Tower programme is a forward looking and innovative way of providing a sustainable service for many years to come, as well as a potential role model for Europe.
SDATS’s digital air traffic control solution is a breakthrough in air traffic control and was introduced during 2015 in Sweden, and has been followed up by others including at Cranfield, London City Airport, in Stockholm with a new Digital Tower centre, and later in 2022 by a Digital Tower centre at Schiphol.
skeyes is a leading and an innovating Air Navigation Service Provider. Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions AB was formed 2016 as a joint venture between Saab and the Swedish Air Navigation Service Provider (LFV). By combining LFV’s unique operational experience with Saab’s world-class technical solutions, Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions can manage the entire process from planning and implementation to the administration of air traffic control services. As a provider of both the technology and air traffic control services, the company offers new and sophisticated digital services to airports in Sweden and abroad.
PHOENIX, Aug. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) is developing a new technology suite for light drones that allows them to fly three times longer and with less human intervention. Compared with traditional drones using batteries and line-of-sight radio links, drones equipped with Honeywell’s Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) technologies can fly farther, carry more weight, avoid hazards up to three kilometers away and stream video of their progress anywhere in the world.
Honeywell’s BVLOS (pronounced bev-loss) systems are ideal for missions where distance or terrain interfere with radio links or visual guidance. Applications include last-mile package delivery, military intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, pipeline and power line inspection, search and rescue, or use by first responders.
The technologies draw upon Honeywell’s decades of experience building and certifying avionics, engines, and APUs for airplanes, helicopters and military drones.
The BVLOS suite comprises:
Honeywell’s 600-watt and 1200-watt hydrogen fuel cells
Honeywell’s RDR-84K multipurpose radar
Honeywell’s inertial measurement units (IMUs)
Honeywell’s UAV Satcom – the world’s smallest and lightest satellite transceiver
The fuel cells in the BVLOS suite operate three times longer than batteries with equivalent output. They work silently, unlike gasoline engines, and emit no greenhouse gases. Operators can refuel or swap hydrogen tanks in minutes, enabling more time in the air.
Honeywell’s RDR-84K is a phased-array radar that steers beams electronically, meaning it has no moving parts and requires minimal maintenance. It also requires no heavy cooling systems.
In addition to avoiding other aircraft, the radar can detect obstacles, map terrain and identify landing zones. It can act as a radar altimeter and provide mapping for alternate navigation if GPS guidance fails.
The BVLOS suite will allow drone designers to combine data in clever new ways to save weight and power. Its radar computes an avoidance path using built-in circuitry, rather than requiring a separate processor. Its satellite uplink can be used to download real-time weather and traffic reports from other drones.
Honeywell’s UAV Satcom and IMUs are available now, with some IMU models priced as low as $1,800. The RDR-84K and fuel cells are in late-stage development, and prototype fuel cells are available for purchase and evaluation now.
ADAC Luftrettung, one of Europe’s biggest Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) operators, has taken delivery of its first two five-bladed H145s. Furthermore, the German HEMS operator will upgrade its current fleet of 14 four-bladed H145s to the five-bladed rotor system.
ADAC Luftrettung operates more than 50 Airbus helicopters from their 37 stations throughout Germany. In June, an ADAC H145 was the first HEMS helicopter to fly with sustainable aviation fuel.
The new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter was unveiled at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta. This latest upgrade adds a new, innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission H145, increasing the useful load of the helicopter by 150 kg. The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design will also ease maintenance operations, further improving the benchmark serviceability and reliability of the H145, while improving ride comfort for both passengers and crew. The helicopter’s high-mounted tail boom and wide opening clam-shell doors facilitate access to the H145’s spacious cabin.
Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. It includes a high performance 4-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class.
Today, Airbus has more than 1,470 H145 family helicopters in service around the world, logging a total of more than six million flight hours. For HEMS alone, there are more than 470 helicopters of the H145 family conducting air rescue missions worldwide.
Tokyo, Japan, August 6th, 2021 – Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has concluded a technical cooperation agreement with Namura Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. relating to LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) powered very large gas carriers (VLGC’s) and are capable of transporting both LPG and ammonia. Based on this agreement, Namura Shipbuilding will construct a LPG powered VLGC on order from MOL Group.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has developed an all-new type of VLGC applying its knowledge and expertise accumulated through the construction and delivery of more than 80 VLGC’s and midsized LPG/ammonia carriers. Operating performance has been improved by increasing the holding capacity of the cargo tank, while engineering enhancements have resulted in improved fuel efficiency. In addition, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has applied its technologies in gas handling to develop a new system capable of using LPG in the cargo hold as fuel to propel the ship. This ability to secure LPG fuel from the cargo tank has a benefit that adds flexibility for the LPG terminal compatibility. Furthermore, the newly developed VLGC features largest-scale at present among all ships capable of carrying ammonia, a point of advantage amid anticipated expansion of demand for large-scale ammonia transportation, which emits zero CO2during combustion.
MHI originally concluded a basic agreement with Namura Shipbuilding in 2017 to form a business alliance in commercial ships. Under the newly concluded technical cooperation agreement, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will not only provide Namura Shipbuilding with technical designs but also procure some equipment and support construction. In this way, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will provide comprehensive engineering services to support Namura Shipbuilding’s successful construction of the large LPG/ammonia carrier for MOL Group.
Going forward, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will provide shipbuilding technologies in response to all customer needs as a marine engineering firm handling new ship constructions as well as ships already in service, making no distinctions between vessels constructed in-house and those made by other shipbuilders. In these ways the Company will make ongoing contributions to the development of maritime logistics and also help reduce environmental impact, a critical issue of global scale.
Airbus has delivered the first A350 from its widebody completion & delivery centre in Tianjin (C&DC), China, taking additional steps in the expansion of its global footprint and long-term strategic partnership with China.
The A350-900 aircraft was delivered to China Eastern Airlines, the largest Airbus operator in Asia and second largest in the world. At the end of June 2021, China Eastern Airlines operated an Airbus fleet of 413 aircraft, including 349 A320 Family aircraft, 55 A330 Family aircraft and nine A350 aircraft.
Located at the same site as the Airbus Tianjin A320 Family Final Assembly Line and the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Centre, the widebody C&DC covers the aircraft completion activities, including cabin installation, aircraft painting and production flight test, as well as customer flight acceptance and aircraft delivery.
The centre was inaugurated in September 2017 with its capability on A330s. Then, during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to China in 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding on the Further Development of Industrial Cooperation was signed in Beijing by He Lifeng, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, and Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer, announcing the C&DC would extend its capability to A350 aircraft.
The A350 features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon-fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these features translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions. The A350’s ‘Airspace by Airbus’ cabin is the quietest of any widebody aircraft and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight products for the most comfortable flying experience.
At the end of June 2021, the A350 Family had received 915 firm orders from 49 customers worldwide, making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever.
Toulouse, France 16 July 2021 – flyadeal, the low-cost Jeddah-based airline owned by Saudi Arabian Airlines, has taken delivery of a brand new A320neo, the first out of 30 to be delivered in the next 3 years.
The aircraft is the first out of 65 A320neo family aircraft ordered by Saudi Arabian Airlines at the Paris Airshow in 2019, and will join flyadeal’s all Airbus fleet.
Powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines, the A320neo will offer flyadeal outstanding operational, economic and environmental performance.
flyadeal’s A320neo is configured with 186 seats in a comfortable all economy class layout. Passengers onboard the aircraft will benefit from the widest cabin of any single-aisle aircraft in the sky, as well as the latest cabin feature offering optimum passenger comfort.
The A320neo is the ideal aircraft for flyadeal to grow and expand its domestic and regional network. Demonstrating the operational flexibility of the A320neo, the aircraft will allow the airline to efficiently enhance its operations to additional networks and foster closer links with countries across the region and beyond.
The A320neo Family incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines, Sharklets and aerodynamics, which together deliver 20% in fuel savings and CO2 reduction compared to previous generation Airbus aircraft. The A320neo Family has received more than 7,400 orders from over 120 customers.
