HEATH, Ohio, Feb. 8, 2021 — Boeing (NYSE: BA) will continue to provide the U.S. Air Force with guidance and navigation repair work on a variety of aircraft under a 5-year, $91 million sole-source contract.
The company has serviced components for aircraft including the B-2 Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress, E-3 Sentry and F-15 Eagle at the Boeing Guidance Repair Center in Heath, Ohio, since 1996.
The Boeing Guidance Repair Center is responsible for maintaining the readiness and modernization of guidance and navigation systems for U.S. nuclear-capable platforms, as well as non-nuclear capable guidance and control systems, electronics and radio frequency systems, and platform processors. In addition, the center is home to assembly, integration and test activities for several Boeing production programs, including the KC-46 tanker, T-7A Red Hawk and the MQ-25 unmanned aircraft system.
Qantas (QAN.AX) announced today it will add Broken Hill to its domestic route network for the first time, with the airline to begin direct flights from Sydney starting on April 8, 2022. The airline will operate two weekly round trip flights between Sydney and Broken Hill with its 50-seat Q300 aircraft.
QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the service will create stronger connections for the far west of New South Wales for both business and leisure travelers. Broken Hill Regional Council Mayor Tom Kennedy welcomed the announcement of the new Qantas services as they will provide the local community with additional choice and flexibility.
Broken Hill is the newest destination to join QantasLink’s extensive regional network, with the airline now operating flights to 57 regional and rural towns across Australia. With the inclusion, the Group has launched 52 new domestic routes, including many country destinations since the start of the global pandemic, as Australians seek new holiday adventures closer to home.
The flights will operate on a Monday and Friday to offer Broken Hill residents an easy long weekend in the city and allow visitors to make the most out of their outback exploration. Fares will start from $269 one-way, but to celebrate the new destination, Qantas is offering a special sale fare starting from $189 one-way, available for sale until 21 February, unless sold out prior.
Bonn, Germany – DHL Global Forwarding has continued its commitment to supporting wildlife by assisting a conservation organization with the rescue five lions and one tiger from captivity. On behalf of Warriors of Wildlife, the wild cats, all born in Ukraine, were relocated safely to South Africa. Following this transport, the non-profit organization has rescued a total of 28 wild cats and other animals from Ukraine. In the past, DHL Global Forwarding has also helped relocate several brown bears, pandas, and most recently, “the world’s loneliest elephant,” Kaavan.
The wild cats were kept in a private zoo in Chernivtsi and a zoo in Nikolaev in the south of Ukraine. DHL brought them to a sanctuary run by the head of the wildlife organization Lionel de Lange. The Simbonga Game Farm & Sanctuary is located near Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Eastern Cape, South Africa. Throughout the whole journey the animals were monitored by veterinarian specialists. In Ukraine, the DHL team had the support of a Ukrainian vet until departure. Together with the director of Warriors for Wildlife and another veterinarian they boarded then their flight from Boryspil International Airport to O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. The last leg of their journey the cats travelled via road before they were finally welcomed to their new home.
Warriors of Wildlife is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, relocation and future care of abused and neglected wildlife in captivity. The organization was founded in 2016 by Lionel de Lange and his wife Anya Masyach and operates from Ukraine and South Africa.
Airbus (OTC: EADSY) has been contracted to supply space start-up Loft Orbital with more than fifteen satellite platforms derived from the Airbus Arrow platform. Arrow is the foundational satellite platform of the OneWeb constellation. There are 394 Airbus Arrow platforms in orbit for the OneWeb constellation and a further 254 are being produced to complete the 648 spacecraft required by OneWeb. With this acquisition, Loft Orbital confirms its intention to make the Airbus Arrow platform a true workhorse enabling its service business model.
Loft Orbital offers a true end-to-end service enabling customers to rapidly deploy and operate their payloads on reliable high-performance satellites at an unprecedented simplicity and affordability. Loft Orbital has also contracted Airbus to modify the Arrow platform to make it suitable for a wider range of longer lifetime missions and applications. Loft Orbital has offices both in the USA and France, being based in the heart of Silicon Valley in San Francisco, and in the European space capital Toulouse, and intends to continue rapidly growing its French presence following this contract relationship with Airbus.
The improvements to the Arrow platform, including all the engineering, qualification, test, and production of the first few spacecraft will be performed by Airbus in Toulouse. The production at scale of the remaining Arrow-derived platforms will be performed by Airbus OneWeb Satellites (AOS).
Airbus Space’s strategy of Next Space will seek further engagement with new players in the space ecosystem to ensure that sustainability and reliability in the LEO space environment is guaranteed for the future.
Singapore Airlines (SES: C6L.SI) is extending PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite statuses, rolling over Elite miles, pausing the expiration of miles in 2022, and introducing new program benefits that further rewards its loyal members.
All PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite statuses that are due to expire between March 2022 and February 2023 will be automatically extended for another year. This supports our members, who have been unable to fly as before due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and follows a similar extension in 2020 and 2021.
Elite miles earned by KrisFlyer Elite members, in the 12 months prior to the latest extension, will be credited back into their accounts after the extension. Elite miles earned during the previous membership qualification cycle will also count towards their requalification in the March 2023 to February 2024 cycle.
KrisFlyer miles that expire in 2022 will be automatically extended by six months at a time, at the end of each month.
Rewards earned from the PPS Rewards and KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards that are due to expire in 2022 will be extended to 31 December 2022. This offers members greater flexibility in utilising the rewards earned from flying with SIA.
From February 2022, KrisFlyer members also enjoy additional benefits when they fly on Scoot.
PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite tier members can enjoy priority boarding, complimentary standard seat selection, an additional 5kg check-in baggage allowance with any baggage purchase, as well as 25% more KrisFlyer miles for every mile earned when travelling on Scoot flights.
In addition, KrisFlyer members can earn 2.5 Elite miles for every KrisFlyer mile earned from flying on Scoot, up from 1 Elite mile for every KrisFlyer mile. This enables members to upgrade to higher KrisFlyer membership tiers at a faster rate.
SIA has also launched two new KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards, which can be enjoyed by members who have earned 1,000 and 2,500 Elite miles.
Qantas and Jetstar are adjusting flying levels to better match travel demand in light of the sudden growth in COVID-19 cases. The Qantas Group now expects domestic capacity for the third quarter of FY22 to be at around 70 per cent of pre-COVID levels, down from the 102 per cent that had been planned. The schedule changes are focused on reducing frequency of services and size of aircraft to minimise inconvenience for passengers as much as possible.
The Group’s total international capacity for the same period will fall from 30 per cent to around 20 per cent of pre-COVID levels. This reduction is driven by increased travel restrictions in countries like Japan, Thailand and Indonesia and is mostly impacting Jetstar’s leisure routes. Other markets – such as London, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Johannesburg and India – continue to perform well.
Customers will be contacted directly from late January if their booking is impacted by cancellations and offered alternative flights that in most cases are likely to be a difference of a few hours if travelling domestically.
Qantas and Jetstar continue to have 100 per cent of their available Australian-based crew stood up, which has helped to minimise the resourcing impacts of some needing to self-isolate during the summer peak. This 100 per cent crewing level will be maintained despite the capacity reductions announced today, giving both airlines a significant buffer to manage ongoing isolation requirements and resulting in a more reliable schedule for passengers.
An assessment on the financial impact of these changes will be given at the Group’s half year results in late February, by which time a clearer picture will have emerged on swing factors such as actual demand levels; potential loosening or tightening of travel restrictions in countries overseas; and consumer response to the reopening of Western Australia next month. No material adjustments have been made to capacity expectations for Q4 FY22.
To give customers more confidence when they book international and domestic flights, Qantas has extended Fly Flex, which enables customers to change their travel dates as often as they need, fee-free (a fare difference may apply).
The three unit FLIRT Akku used for the record journey has been developed by Stadler since 2016 as a local CO2 neutral mobility solution for the climate-friendly operation of unelectrified railway routes. The vehicle was approved by the German Federal Railway Office and introduced to the public for the very first time in 2018. Ever since when the FLIRT Akku test carrier has travelled around 15,000 kilometers in battery only operation, before setting the world record for a regional train journey in battery-only mode without additional charge now.
Climate friendly bestseller FLIRT
The first Fast Light Intercity and Regional Train was developed in 2002 at the request of the Swiss Federal Railways SBB for the Zug city railway. Ever since the unit was put into service, the FLIRT has turned into an international bestseller with over 2,000 vehicles sold. These vehicles are being operated in 20 countries in virtually all climate zones, from the equator to the polar circle, with 528 of them operating in Germany alone. The single-decker regional and intercity multiple unit convinces with its flexibility in the process. The trains are configured for normal and broad gauge tracks, with top speeds of 160 to 200 km/h. Thus, the FLIRT can be customized to any individual client requirements in terms of its drive technology, number of seats, passenger flow and interior design. The lightweight aluminum construction and common components help to keep the operating, energy and maintenance costs low. Besides electric, diesel or bi-modal drives, the FLIRT is also available with climate-friendly battery and hydrogen propulsion.
With the FLIRT Akku train sets, Stadler has developed a so called BEMU (battery-electric multiple unit) that will run as both a classic EMU (electric multiple unit) under overhead contact cable or battery-operated on un-electrified routes. This makes it optimal for partly electrified routes that currently still need to be served with diesel trains. Stadler had already won the first green technology tender in Germany and sold 55 FLIRT Akkus to NAH.SH, the Schleswig-Holstein Local Transport Association in 2019. In November 2021, another order for 44 vehicles followed from Deutsche Bahn Regio. In addition Stadler is also building the first hydrogen-powered FLIRT for the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) in the USA.
Toulouse, France – In the same month as it celebrated its 40 year anniversary, ATR has reached another impressive milestone in its history, delivering its 1,600th aircraft to national flag carrier, Air New Zealand (OTC: ANZLY). This delivery highlights the enduring strength of the ATR program, providing essential connectivity to communities all over the world. It also proves the value of the ATR 72-600 at serving domestic routes in New Zealand as it is the last of 29 aircraft ordered.
While ties between the two companies initially began some 25 years ago with the delivery of first generation ATR’s, this last decade has seen the forging of closer ties, with the delivery of the 29 dash 600 aircraft and through an important collaboration that enhanced the aircraft’s approach capabilities.
The introduction of the RNP AR 0.3/0.3 feature, part of ATR’s latest Standard 3 avionics suite, helped the airline and its pilots with the accuracy of the approach into Queenstown airport and providing reliable connectivity to the local community, who benefit greatly from ski tourism in the mountainous region.
Sustainability is also a key concern for both airline and manufacturer, with Air New Zealand having chosen the ATR 72-600 for its fleet as it burns 40% less fuel and emits 40% less CO2 than a similarly sized regional jet. This shared commitment to further enhancing eco-efficiency led to an agreement to work together to explore the future of the regional aviation ecosystem, including hybrid aircraft in 2018.
Toulouse, France December 20, 2021 – Airbus (OTC: EADSY) has firmed up an order for the purchase of four A350F freighter aircraft with the CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics. This order will bring CMA CGM’s total Airbus fleet to nine aircraft, including four A330-200F and one A330-200 to be converted into a freighter.
The A350F is based on the passenger A350 jet. The aircraft features a large main deck cargo door and a fuselage length optimised for cargo operations. Over 70% of the airframe is made of advanced materials resulting in a 30t lighter take-off weight, generating an at least 20% lower fuel burn over its current closest competitor. With a 109t payload capability, the A350F will serve all cargo markets (Express, general cargo, medical, special) and is in the large freighter category the only new generation freighter aircraft ready for the enhanced 2027 ICAO CO₂ emissions standards.
