Osaka, Japan – Panasonic Corporation (Tokyo: 6752.T) today announced it has verified the inhibitory effect of hydroxyl radicals contained in water on novel coronavirus variants, namely Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta, in collaboration with the Japan Textile Products Quality and Technology Center.
Many viruses constantly change through mutation with some generating variants that may significantly affect viral infectivity and toxicity, which could lead to a global pandemics. Currently on a worldwide rampage, novel coronavirus also generated variants, four of which, as described above, have been designated as Variants of Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO), namely, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.
ATR performed well in 2019. We received 79 orders and delivered 68 aircraft for a book-to-bill of more than one. The turnover for the year was $1.6 billion and was boosted by a strong performance from our Services.
In 2020, the aviation industry is facing an unprecedented challenge that will last well beyond the current year. It is too early to understand the full impact on our backlog, however we have not had any cancellations to date.
Currently, 40% of ATR aircraft around the world continue to fly, playing a vital role in humanitarian missions and the transportation of essential goods to the remotest areas.
Naturally, during this time, ATR continues to support airlines 24/7.
Cargo is becoming increasingly important and we have developed a solution allowing airlines operating ATR aircraft to quickly and temporarily convert to a light freighter configuration, allowing them to unlock potential operations.
During this crisis, ATR is not standing still. While our major concern is always the safety and health of our employees and subcontractors, our manufacturing sites have never closed, and we have implemented a very strict health protocol that has allowed us to continue critical activities. We remain committed to the delivery of our new programmes, the ATR 72-600F freighter and the ATR 42-600 STOL. The first deliveries of our new cargo variant will happen this year.
ATR believes that regional aviation will resume its activities faster than international air traffic, because it will have a huge role to play in the recovery of the global economy, connecting communities around the world with necessary supplies.
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Airbus SE <AIR.PA> and Boeing Co <BA.N> may pull out of a bidding process to supply Canada with new fighter jets because they say the contest is unfairly tilted towards Lockheed Martin Corp <LMT.N>, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation said on Monday.
The three companies competing with Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jet have already complained about the way the contest is being run, and expressed concern some of the specifications clearly favour the U.S. firm, industry sources have said in recent weeks.
Next week the government is due to release the so-called request for proposals – the final list of requirements – for the 88 new planes it wants to buy. The contract is worth between C$15 billion (£9 billion) and C$19 billion and the planes are due to be delivered between 2025 and the early 2030s.
Boeing and Airbus have now formally written to Ottawa expressing concerns about the current requirements, said two sources familiar with the matter who declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the situation. The fourth bidder is Sweden’s Saab AB <SAABb.ST>.
Pat Finn, the defence ministry’s top official in charge of procurement, confirmed one of the four companies had sent a formal letter but gave no details. The final request for proposals is due out on July 17 and modifications are still being considered, he said.
“We continue to engage all four of them,” he said in a telephone interview. “We have had some comments (such as) ‘If changes are not made in such a place then we would frankly consider possibly not bidding.'”
“We are looking at those very seriously. I can’t say that we will make every change, but as far as we know we continue to have four bidders in the race.”
Airbus declined to comment. Boeing did not respond to a request for comment.
Canada has been trying unsuccessfully for almost a decade to buy replacements for its ageing F-18 fighters. In May, Ottawa changed the rules to allow Lockheed Martin to submit a bid, prompting Boeing to take the unusual step of announcing publicly it was surprised.
“Anyone who is not Lockheed Martin has expressed a very strong view,” said one of the sources. “We have been pretty clear with the government that this is not a request for proposals that lends to our participation.”
At least one firm has expressed unhappiness that the requirements emphasize the ability to carry out first strikes on targets abroad, a strength of the F-35, said the sources.
The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insists the competition is not rigged. Finn said the defence ministry also had made changes to the requirements at the request of Boeing, Airbus and Saab.
Canada is part of the international consortium that developed the F-35. The former Conservative administration said in 2010 it would buy 65 of the jets but later scrapped the decision, triggering years of delays.
Trudeau came to power in 2015 vowing not to buy the F-35 on the grounds that it was too costly, but Ottawa has since softened its line.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
FILE PHOTO: A real-size mock of F-35 fighter jet is displayed at Japan International Aerospace Exhibition in Tokyo
(Corrects “cancels” to “plans to postpone” in the first paragraph after AZAL changed its comment. Removes quote)
MOSCOW,
June 3 (Reuters) – Azerbaijan airline AZAL plans to postpone a $1
billion contract with Boeing to purchase 10 737 MAX jets, a spokesman
said on Monday, following fatal crashes involving the aircraft in
Ethiopia and Indonesia.
Boeing’s
top-selling aircraft, the 737 MAX, has been grounded worldwide since
the March 10 disaster, which killed 157 people and came just five months
after a Lion Air crash in Indonesia that killed 189 in a plane of the
same model.
Many countries barred 737 Max jets from taking off or landing at local airports.
(Reporting by Nailia Bagirova; writing by Margarita Antidze)
