Tag: France (Page 8 of 25)

Delta counts down to Croatia flight launch

June 29, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Delta is counting down to the start of its new service to Dubrovnik on Friday, July 2, offering U.S. travelers more opportunities to reclaim the joy of travel this summer in one of Europe’s most intriguing nations.

Croatia is the first new European country to which Delta will begin service since the start of the pandemic. Its customers are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to discover the country. The airline will operate four weekly nonstop services between Dubrovnik and New York-JFK, with departures on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Flights are operated in conjunction with Delta’s European partners Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic.

Data from the World Travel and Tourism Council reports that tourism represents 25 percent of Croatia’s GDP. Pre-pandemic, the number of U.S. tourists to Croatia was on the rise, with more than 550,000 visitors in 2018 – a 23 percent increase over 2017, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Meanwhile, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics reported that 10 percent of all visitors to Dubrovnik came from the U.S. in 2019, which is the second-largest source market.

Customers flying from Croatia can connect at Delta’s JFK hub to more than 30 cities across the U.S. within four hours of arrival, enabling them to reach their final destination the same day. The service also provides cargo opportunities for freight forwarders to conveniently transport goods between the nations.

In line with local entry guidelines, all customers must show proof of full vaccination status, have a negative PCR test or proof of recent COVID-19 recovery before boarding in the U.S. While the U.S. is open to visitors from Croatia, Delta recommends that customers check entry requirements before travel. Details are available on the Delta Discover Map on delta.com. The airline continues to offer more flexibility than ever to plan and rebook tickets with an industry-leading travel credit extension for all tickets expiring in 2021 and all tickets purchased in 2021 through Dec. 31, 2022.

SAF Orders Three H145 Airbus Helicopters for EMS Missions in France

June 19, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Marignane,France 16 June 2021 – SAF Group will be operating three more five-bladed Airbus H145 helicopter’s for emergency medical services (EMS). These three aircraft will be based in Grenoble, Valence, and Montpellier. They will complement the three H145s already ordered by SAF in 2018 and 2020, the first of which was delivered recently and will be deployed for EMS missions in Belgium.

SAF is a key actor of EMS in France and Europe. This French company already operates 55 Airbus helicopters. SAF’s fleet includes a Super Puma, H135s and H125s. The H145 will bring increased capabilities for the EMS missions.

The new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter was unveiled at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta in March. 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.

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 EMS alone, there are more than 470 helicopters of the H145 family conducting air rescue missions worldwide.

Airbus Delivers First A350 to New Airline World2fly

June 9, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, France 09 June 2021 – World2fly, the new long-haul airline recently founded by the Spanish hotel company Iberostar, has taken delivery of the first of two A350-900s on lease from Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL), becoming the latest operator of the world’s most efficient large widebody aircraft.

The airline, based on the Balearic island of Mallorca, will operate the two leased A350-900 aircraft on long-haul routes from Madrid to leisure destinations, such as Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, Cancun, Mexico, and Havana, Cuba.

World2fly’s A350-900s feature a modern and highly-comfortable single-class cabin layout with 432 seats. Passengers will enjoy more personal space, wide seats and absolute well-being on board and appreciate the latest-generation in-flight entertainment and connectivity. The A350 Airspace cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle aircraft and offers passengers and crew the best flying experience.

The Airbus A350’s clean-sheet design features state-of-the-art aerodynamics, a carbon-fibre fuselage and wings, plus the most fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency and sustainability for World2fly, with a 25% reduction in fuel-burn and CO2 emissions compared to previous generation twin-aisle aircraft.

Airbus Delivers 100th A400M

May 26, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Seville, 25 May 2021 – Airbus has reached 100 deliveries of its A400M aircraft with MSN111, the tenth for the Spanish Air Force. The aircraft performed its ferry flight on 24^th May from Seville to Zaragoza, where the Spanish A400M fleet is based. In the same week, the A400M global fleet also achieved the 100,000 flight-hours landmark performing missions worldwide for all eight customer nations.

All A400M operators have been able to operate the aircraft intensively for Covid-19 emergency response missions, as well as conduct joint, collaborative operations. These milestones clearly demonstrate the maturity of the A400M programme on all fronts.

New capabilities

Recently the A400M successfully conducted a major helicopter air-to-air refuelling certification flight test campaign in coordination with the DGA (French Directorate General of Armaments), completing the majority of its certification objectives, including the first simultaneous refueling of two helicopters.

The A400M is already able to drop up to 116 paratroopers, via simultaneous dispatch from the side doors with automatic parachute opening, or from the ramp with automatic parachute opening or in freefall, day and night. Recent tests were completed in Spain, in collaboration with the UK Royal Air Force parachute test team, to expand up to 25,000 feet (7,600 metres) for automatic parachute opening – and up to 38,000ft (11,582 metres) for free fall.

The A400M also completed additional tests to expand its air drop capability, including multiple platforms with parachute extraction (23 tonnes). France and Spain participated in these flights. Another way to deliver cargo on austere airstrips without handling equipment was also certified: Combat offload of up to 19 tonnes of pallets (one pass) or 25 tonnes (two passes) on paved or unpaved airstrips.

The A400M also achieved a new decisive milestone after the certification flights of its Automatic Low Level Flight capability for Instrumental Meteorological Conditions (IMC). Using navigation systems and terrain databases, without the need of a terrain-following radar, this is a first for a military transport aircraft. This makes the aircraft less detectable in hostile areas and less susceptible to threats while conducting operations in hostile environments.

In operation

In terms of collaborative missions, the Spanish Air Force supported the French Armée de l´Air in the transport of a Caracal helicopter from Cazaux (France) to Tucson (USA), using a Spanish A400M. The flight was used by CLAEX (Spanish Logistics Center for Armament and Experimentation) and CECTA (Air Transport Cargo Evaluation Cell) to validate the loading process on Spanish A400Ms.

Key military missions last year included the delivery of almost 40 tonnes of food, water, fuel and ammunition by a single French A400M to troops based in the Sahel region of Africa, the first A400M to airdrop supplies in a country outside of Europe.

In addition, Germany became the first A400M customer to use the A400M as a tanker in real missions providing support in the “Counter Daesh” operation in Jordan.

Life-saving medevac missions during COVID-19

2020 and 2021 also saw the use of the A400M in civil emergency response roles during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, not least for civil medical evacuation (medevac) duties – with Airbus providing critical support for air force operators – as well as for transporting key medical relief supplies. The versatility of the aircraft also allowed a rapid conversion to medevac configuration, where installed critical care modules provided airborne intensive care units.

With the maturity, versatility and unique capabilities proven in operations all around the world, A400M is proving to be a game changer for military airlift and humanitarian missions in the 21^st century.

French Navy Exercises Option for Two Additional Airbus H160 Helicopters

May 23, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has confirmed an option to Airbus Helicopters, Babcock and Safran Helicopter Engines for two more H160s for the French Navy. These aircraft will join the fleet of four H160s already contracted in 2020, the first of which is currently being assembled by Airbus Helicopters in Marignane, in the south of France. The six H160s will be delivered in a Search and Rescue (SAR) configuration and will gradually start operating from May 2022 from Lanveoc-Poulmic naval air station (Britany), Cherbourg airport (Normandy) and Hyères naval air station (Provence). Awaiting the H160M “Guépard” deliveries in the frame of the French Joint Light Helicopter (Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger: HIL) programme, these H160s will take over the SAR missions currently conducted by the NH90s and Panthers , allowing these combat helicopters to fulfill their main tasks at sea on board combat vessels.

The French Navy’s operational feedback with these H160s will benefit the design of the military version of the aircraft and its associated support system.

The H160s were ordered by Babcock in 2018 and will be maintained and equipped in partnership with Airbus Helicopters, and Safran Helicopters Engines ensuring the highest level of availability for the French Navy and the continuity of SAR operations on the Atlantic and the Mediterranean coasts. Built by Airbus Helicopters, the six H160s will be equipped with a winch and a modular cabin that can be optimized for each mission. The H160s will be certified for use of night vision goggles which are necessary for winching operations at night.

The six H160s will be modified into a light military configuration by Babcock, a provider of critical, complex engineering services to governments, to answer to the needs of the French Navy. Babcock will integrate the Safran Electronics & Defense new generation electro-optical system, Euroflir 410.

The H160, as a next generation medium twin engine aircraft, powered by Arrano engines, is modular by design in order to address missions ranging from offshore transportation, private and business aviation, emergency medical services, and public services.

Dassault Aviation Launches The Falcon 10X

May 10, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Saint-Cloud, France, May 06, 2021 – Dassault Aviation today announced an all-new Falcon jet that will deliver a level of comfort, versatility and technology unmatched by any purpose-built business jet. Featuring a range of 7,500 nautical miles, the Falcon 10X will fly nonstop from New York to Shanghai, Los Angeles to Sydney, Hong Kong to New York or Paris to Santiago. Top speed will be Mach 0.925.

The Falcon 10X is scheduled to enter service at the end of 2025.

The 10X will have the biggest and most comfortable cabin on the market and offer greater modularity than any other aircraft in its class, with a selection of multiple interior configurations. The 10X is large enough to accommodate four cabin zones of equal length but owners can configure their cabin to create a truly customized interior, including for example, an expanded dining/conference area, a dedicated entertainment area with a large-screen monitor, a private stateroom with a queen-size bed or an enlarged master suite with a private stand-up shower.

The 10X will have a cabin cross section larger than some regional jets. Its cabin will be 6-feet, 8-inches (2.03 m) tall and 9 feet, 1 inch wide (2.77 m). That will make it almost 8 inches (20 cm) wider and 2 inches (5 cm) taller than the widest and tallest purpose-built business jet flying today.

Pressurization will also be the best on the market, with passengers experiencing a 3,000-foot cabin pressure altitude while flying at 41,000 feet. A next-generation filtration system will provide 100-percent pure air. The aircraft will be at least as quiet as the Falcon 8X, currently the quietest business jet in service.

The 10X will feature an entirely new fuselage with extra-large windows—nearly 50 percent larger than those on the Falcon 8X. Thirty-eight windows will line the fuselage making for the brightest cabin in business aviation.

The high-speed wing will be made of carbon fiber composites for maximum strength, reduced weight and minimum drag. Tailored for speed and efficiency, the very-high aspect ratio wing will be equipped with advanced, retractable high-lift devices offering superior maneuverability at low approach speeds.

The twin-engine aircraft will be powered by business aviation’s most advanced and efficient engine, the in-development Rolls Royce Pearl® 10X. The 10X is the latest, largest and most powerful version of the Pearl series, delivering more than 18,000 pounds of thrust.

The Falcon 10X’s flight deck will set a new standard in intuitive design, with touch screens throughout the cockpit. A next-generation Digital Flight Control System, derived directly from Dassault’s latest military technology, will provide an unprecedented level of flying precision and protection, including a revolutionary, new single-button recovery mode.

A single smart throttle will serve as the primary power control, connecting both engines to the Digital Flight Control System which will automatically manage the power of each engine as needed in different flight scenarios.

Thanks to Dassault’s breakthrough FalconEye® combined vision system—the first to offer both enhanced and synthetic vision capabilities—combined with dual HUDs able to serve as primary flight displays, the 10X will be capable of operating in essentially zero ceiling/visibility conditions.

Airbus Fly-By-Wire Visionary Bernard Ziegler Passes Away

May 5, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, France 5 May 2021 – Airbus (OTC: EADSY) is saddened to learn of the passing of Bernard Ziegler, at the age of 88. Ziegler, one of Airbus’ engineering pioneers, was instrumental in the introduction of the world’s first digital Fly-By-Wire (FBW) and side stick controls in a commercial passenger aircraft with the A320 in 1988.

Ziegler’s career spanned some four decades. He realised the full potential that digital FBW could bring, including flight envelope protection incorporated into the control software. Ziegler’s legacy lives on with digital FBW on all current generation Airbus aircraft, and its adoption as the standard on all modern passenger aircraft globally.

Born in 1933, in Boulogne sur Seine, Ziegler graduated from the French “Ecole Polytechnique” in 1954 and, later, from several engineering and flight training schools (Ecole Nationale de l’Air, Ecole de Chasse, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l’Aéronautique, Ecole du Personnel Navigant Essais). For ten years, he was a fighter pilot in the French Air Force.

During the early 1960s he studied aeronautical engineering at ENSA (l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l’Aéronautique) in Toulouse, which is now ISAE-SUPAERO. He then attended prestigious flight test pilot school EPNER, before taking up a career as a military test pilot.

Ziegler joined Airbus as its chief test pilot in 1972 and was given the task of setting up a new flight test division. He put together a team that shared the objectives of both the design office and the partner countries, fostering collaboration between flight test crews and design engineers.

As a test pilot, he flew the first flight of the first A300 in 1972. The programme was later on an early testbed for FBW which transfers the pilot’s commands to the aircraft via digital signals. FBW provides significant benefits through commonality, improved flight safety, reduced pilot workload, fewer mechanical parts, and real-time monitoring of all aircraft systems.

He also flew the A310, A320 and A340-200. In June 1993, Ziegler participated in the longest flight ever undertaken by a civil aircraft, when an A340-200, dubbed the “World Ranger”, flew around the world from Paris with just one stop in Auckland in just over 48 hours.

Up until his retirement in December 1997, Ziegler was Airbus Senior Vice President of Engineering.

Japan Coast Guard and Singapore Add Airbus H225 Helicopters

April 9, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Japan Coast Guard (JCG) will expand its fleet with two new Airbus (OTC: EADSY) H225 helicopters, taking its total Super Puma fleet up to 17, comprising two AS332s and 15 H225s. The largest Super Puma operator in Japan received its tenth H225 in February this year. The new helicopters will join its growing fleet to support territorial coastal activities, security enforcement, as well as disaster relief missions in the country.

JCG’s H225 fleet is covered by Airbus’ highly adaptive HCare Smart full-by-the-hour material support. This customised fleet availability programme allows the national coast guard agency to focus on its flight operations whilst Airbus manages its assets

Offering the industry’s best range, speed, payload and reliability in the 11-ton-category twin-engine rotorcraft, the H225 is the latest member of Airbus Helicopters’ Super Puma family that has accumulated more than 5.7 million flight hours in all-weather conditions around the world. Equipped with state-of-the-art electronic instruments and renowned autopilot precision, the H225 offers outstanding endurance and fast cruise speed, and can be fitted with various equipment to suit a variety of roles.

Close to 30 helicopters from the Super Puma family are currently flown in Japan by civil, parapublic operators, and Japan’s Ministry of Defense for various search and rescue missions, VIP, fire-fighting, and passenger and goods transportation.

Also, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has taken delivery of its first H225M helicopter. Airbus Helicopters signed the contract with Singapore’s Ministry of Defence for the acquisition of H225M Medium Lift Helicopters in 2016.

Singapore’s fleet of H225Ms is expected to assume a wide range of roles, including search and rescue, aeromedical evacuation, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

A combat-proven multi-purpose and versatile asset, the H225M enables military forces to deploy wherever and whenever needed. 104 H225Ms are currently in service across the world, having accumulated more than 143,000 flight hours. The H225M is relied upon by Brazil, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico Thailand to support their most demanding missions.

Corsair Takes Delivery of its First A330neo

April 5, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, 31 March 2021 – Corsair has taken delivery of its first A330-900, on lease from Avolon, to join the French airline’s fleet. By selecting a total of five A330neo’s, Corsair is executing its strategy to become an all-A330 operator. Thanks to the aircraft’s latest technologies, Corsair will benefit from cost-effective and eco-efficient solutions, while providing passengers with the best comfort standards in the quietest cabins in its class.

The aircraft features 352 seats in a three-class layout, providing all the comfort and amenities of Airbus’ leading ‘Airspace’ cabin, including state-of-the-art passenger in-flight entertainment (IFE) and full WiFi connectivity throughout the cabin.

The A330neo is powered by Rolls-Royce’s latest-generation Trent 7000 engines. The Corsair aircraft will also be the first A330neo to feature an increased maximum take-off weight of 251 tonnes. This capability will allow the airline to fly long-haul destinations up to 13,400 km (7,200nm) or benefit from ten tons more payload on board.

The A330neo is a new-generation aircraft and successor to the hugely popular A330ceo widebody family. As well as the new engine option, the aircraft benefits from a host of innovations, including aerodynamic improvements and new wings and winglets that together contribute to 25% fuel-burn and CO2 reductions.

Corsair, which already operates an Airbus fleet of five A330 Family aircraft, became a member of the Airbus Skywise ‘Open Data Platform’ in 2020, thus benefiting from several Skywise-based services, such as a real-time in-service fleet performance analysis capability (aircraft health monitoring), reliability analysis and predictive maintenance.

First 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel Study on Commercial Jet Emissions Launched

March 18, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, France, 18 March 2021 – A team of aerospace specialists has launched the world’s first in-flight emissions study using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on a wide-body commercial passenger aircraft. Airbus, German research centre DLR, Rolls-Royce and SAF producer Neste have teamed up to start the pioneering ‘Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels’ (ECLIF3) project looking into the effects of 100% SAF on aircraft emissions and performance.

Findings from the study – to be carried out on the ground and in the air using an Airbus A350-900 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines – will support efforts currently underway at Airbus and Rolls-Royce to ensure the aviation sector is ready for the large-scale use of SAF as part of the wider initiative to decarbonise the industry.

A team of aerospace specialists has launched the world’s first in-flight emissions study using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on a wide-body commercial passenger aircraft.

Fuel-clearance engine tests, including a first flight to check operational compatibility of using 100% SAF with the aircraft’s systems, started at Airbus’ facilities in Toulouse, France, this week. These will be followed by the ground-breaking flight-emissions tests due to start in April and resuming in the Autumn, using DLR’s Falcon 20-E ‘chase plane’ to carry out measurements to investigate the emissions impact of using SAF. Meanwhile, further ground tests measuring particulate-matter emissions are set to indicate the environmental impact of SAF-use on airport operations.

Both the flight and the ground tests will compare emissions from the use of 100% SAF produced with HEFA (hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids) technology against those from fossil kerosene and low-sulphur fossil kerosene.

The SAF will be provided by Neste, a leading worldwide supplier of sustainable aviation fuel. Additional measurement and analysis for the characterisation of the particulate-matter emissions during the ground testing will be delivered by the UK’s University of Manchester and the National Research Council of Canada.

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