Korean Air has partnered with Yusen Logistics, a global logistics company, to further promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the air cargo industry. The two companies signed a Sustainable Aviation Fuel Cooperation Program Agreement at the Yusen Logistics headquarters in Tokyo.
Yusen Logistics is the airline’s first cargo SAF partner based in Japan, and the two companies will collaborate to promote SAF usage within the Asian region in alignment with the aviation industry’s climate change goals.
In September 2023, Korean Air launched a program to use SAF for air cargo operations with air cargo customers and forwarders, a first of its kind in Korea in the air cargo industry. Customers are able to purchase SAF for air cargo operations, and Korean Air will share the carbon emissions reductions with its customers.
Korean Air is committed to cooperating with all relevant governments, clients and oil refinery companies to expedite the use of SAF and create an efficient domestic SAF infrastructure in Korea.
July 28, 2023 – Supported by Sweden and the United Kingdom, Saab (OTC: SAABF) has today submitted its proposal for the replacement of Netherland’s current submarines. The proposal comprises four advanced Expeditionary Submarines with the latest innovations and technologies and includes a cooperation with Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Group.
Saab’s offered solution is based on a successful, proven and future-proof design. It will incorporate the latest capabilities and technologies, whilst its truly modular design will allow for new technologies as they evolve to ensure relevance for many years to come.
Saab and Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Group have cooperated since 2015 and the offer to build submarines to replace the Dutch Walrus-class is a balanced cooperation between the Netherlands and Sweden.
The C718 is an advanced Expeditionary Submarine that offers an unsurpassed level of endurance and exceeds the Royal Netherlands Navy needs for long-distance operations, sufficient accommodation, crew comfort and increased weapon payload capability.
Sweden, through Saab’s business area Kockums, has a long tradition in producing world class submarines. Four nations are currently operating submarines and submarine technology designed by Saab’s business area Kockums; Sweden, Australia, Japan and Singapore.
Saab has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nammo and Nordic Shelter to support the ongoing GLSDB (Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb) campaign.
The new agreement was announced during a signing 23 November 2021 in Oslo, Norway. Nammo will contribute with its expertise in rocket motor development and production as part of the GLSDB propulsion sub-system. Nordic Shelter brings the knowledge and experience needed for the development and production of a modular GLSDB launcher, based on a purpose built 20-foot ISO-container.
GLSDB is a long range, precision artillery system developed by Saab and Boeing. The system is based on Boeing’s air-launched Small Diameter Bomb, which has been in production since 2006, with more than 30 000 units shipped. GLSDB enables Small Diameter Bomb to be ground-launched from a wide variety of launchers and configurations.
Embraer announced today the opening of an office in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. The main objective is to foster cooperation in Hungary, which could result in future developments under new partnerships. The office also creates an administrative hub for projects development in Central and Eastern Europe.
This initiative is part of Embraer’s strategy to establish new partnerships in select markets. Some of the key aspects of this future cooperation are the collaborative efforts with new partners, long-term projects, and investment in reliable dual-use technology.
The office will employ Hungarian personnel, administrative and engineering staff that will work in close cooperation with Embraer’s teams in Brazil.
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.
Predicting the weather even more accurately, analyzing climate changes even more precisely, researching even better how the world is developing. This is the goal of a globally unique cooperation between Lufthansa and several research institutes.
Converting an aircraft into a climate research plane poses major challenges. Lufthansa has chosen the most modern and economical long-haul jet in its fleet – an Airbus A350-900 named “Erfurt” (registration D-AIXJ). In three stages, the “Erfurt” will now become a flying research laboratory.
In Lufthansa Technik’s hangar in Malta, the first and most extensive conversion work was carried out. Preparations were made for a complex air intake system below the belly. This was followed by a series of test insertions, at the end of which came the certification of a climate research laboratory weighing around 1.6 tons, the so-called CARIBIC measurement laboratory. The acronym CARIBIC stands for “Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container” is part of a comprehensive European research consortium.
The “Erfurt” is expected to take off from Munich at the end of 2021 for its first flight in the service of climate research, measuring around 100 different trace gases, aerosol and cloud parameters in the tropopause region (at an altitude of nine to twelve kilometers). Lufthansa is thus making a valuable contribution to climate research, which can use these unique data to assess the performance of current atmospheric and climate models and thus their predictive power for the Earth’s future climate. The special feature: Climate-relevant parameters can be recorded at this altitude with much greater accuracy and temporal resolution on board the aircraft than with satellite-based or ground-based systems.
The A350 conversion, which has now been launched, was preceded by an ex-tremely elaborate planning and development phase of about four years involving more than ten companies (in particular Lufthansa, Lufthansa Technik, Airbus, Saf-ran, enviscope, and Dynatec) as well as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) as representative of a larger scientific consortium.
The Lufthansa Group has been a reliable partner of climate research since 1994 and has since equipped several aircraft with special instruments. This is now the first time worldwide on an Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
Mexico City, March 10, 2021 – Cooperating with DHL Global Forwarding, Aeromexico managed to achieve its first flight in its history to Russia operating a cargo charter flight. The flight departed from Mexico City on March 8, with a stopover in Madrid, Spain. The flight continued on to Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport in Russia, landing on March 9. Following cargo loading, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft took off for the return flight to Mexico City, once again stopping over in the Spanish capital.
Aeromexico, in the last 12 months, has landed its Dreamliner aircraft at 20 new airports in 14 countries including: Belo Horizonte, Cabo Frio, Cali, Fortaleza, Frankfurt, Guatemala, Guayaquil, Hong Kong, Kingston, Moscow, Panama, Porto Alegre, Quito, Santo Domingo, San Jose, San Pedro Sula, San Salvador, Shenzhen, Winnipeg, and Wuhan.
Since the start of the pandemic, Aeromexico has transported more than 6,400 tons of cargo on 325 charter operations to ship medical supplies and other necessary goods to Mexico, as well as 16 countries. Aeromexico Cargo operates in more than 40 airports in Mexico, and several other destinations including the USA, Canada, Central America, South America, Asia, and Europe. The most common cargo carried includes medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, perishable goods, live animals, and high technology consumer and corporate items.
Saab has today received a follow on contract with the United Arab Emirates regarding the sale of two GlobalEye systems, Saab’s advanced airborne surveillance system. The order value is USD 1.018 billion and the contract period is 2020-2025.
The original contract with the United Arab Emirates for GlobalEye was signed in 2015. This contract is an amendment to that signed in 2015.
“We are proud that the United Arab Emirates continues to show great trust in Saab and our solutions. It shows that Saab remains on the cutting edge regarding advanced technology. The GlobalEye program is running according to plan and we have an efficient cooperation with the customer”, says Micael Johansson, President and CEO Saab.
The work will be carried out in Gothenburg, Linköping, Arboga, Järfälla and Luleå in Sweden and in Centurion, South Africa.
The contract was signed by the customer on the 30th of December 2020, hence the order was booked during the fourth quarter 2020.
GlobalEye provides simultaneous air, maritime and ground surveillance. It combines sophisticated radar technology with the ultra-long range Global 6000 aircraft from Bombardier.
SBB and ÖBB are stepping up their long-standing cooperation in international passenger services. The two railway companies are seeking to scale up the existing night train services from six to ten lines. Planning is underway for new night trains from Switzerland to Amsterdam, Rome and Barcelona. Last week, SBB and ÖBB signed a corresponding Letter of Intent. The planned expansion of services can only be guaranteed with financial support from the Swiss climate fund.
Demand for international night train services significantly increased in 2019 and at the start of 2020 until the coronavirus crisis struck. The number of passengers using night train services from Switzerland grew by over 25 per cent with respect to the previous year. The two partner railways consider this a sustainable trend given the significant rise in customer demand for environmentally friendly and resource-efficient travel. There is clear evidence to show that night trains have a positive effect on overall emissions, as they generate modal shift from other modes of transport to rail. ÖBB and SBB share the goal of shifting more travel to rail and thus contributing to a reduction in CO2 emissions from the travel sector. This commitment reflects the aims of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the political and public will to develop an attractive night train network as an important component of environmentally friendly and sustainable mobility in Europe.
With its 19 Nightjet lines and eight further services provided in cooperation with partner railways, ÖBB already runs Europe’s largest night train network. This includes the network from Switzerland run in cooperation with SBB, comprising six lines and one additional service. SBB and ÖBB want to build on this success and expand night train services in Europe together. Over the last few months, the companies have thoroughly tested and evaluated various options for expanding the service. By cooperating, the railway companies will be able to make use of synergies in production and marketing of the service offer and save on costs. In the Letter of Intent signed last week, the two railway companies presented their strategy for expanding services as outlined in “2024 Nightjet Network for Switzerland”. The plans involve expanding the Nightjet network from Switzerland to incorporate a total of ten lines and 25 destinations.
Cornerstones of the expansion plan:
– From 2022 timetable onwards: new Nightjet connection to Amsterdam. As a first step in the expansion process, the two railway companies want to launch a new daily Nightjet service running Zurich–Basel–Frankfurt–Cologne–Amsterdam in December 2021. However, the very limited availability of rolling stock suitable for night train services restricts short-term service expansion. SBB therefore intends to lease suitable rolling stock from German leasing company RDC Asset GmbH.
– Increasing capacity on services to Berlin, Hamburg and Prague and new connection to Leipzig and Dresden. The services currently provided from Zurich via Basel to Berlin and Hamburg are increasingly popular. Capacity on this route will therefore be expanded significantly. SBB and ÖBB wish to serve both destinations with two separate trains covering the whole route, if possible from the 2023 timetable change. This will enable a significant capacity increase. They also plan to run the service to Prague via Germany as a portion of the Berlin Nightjet with sleeping cars and couchettes. The new route would also provide a direct connection to Leipzig and Dresden.
– Plans for new connections to Rome and Barcelona. There are plans for a new line connecting Zurich via Bern, Brig, Domodossola to Rome. A daily connection from Zurich via Bern, Lausanne, Geneva to Barcelona is also planned. This would also integrate French-speaking Switzerland directly into the night train network. It is not yet clear whether it will be possible to run these two lines, as agreements with other partner railways are yet to be reached.
To ensure that night train services can be expanded in the medium to long term, ÖBB is also investing in new rolling stock. The new night train sets are to come into service gradually over a period of time.
SBB and ÖBB are campaigning for greater political support for night trains.
Alongside the planned service expansion, SBB, ÖBB and other partner railways are campaigning for transport policies which facilitate night train operations in Europe. In Switzerland, the total revision of the CO2 Act after 2020 is being debated in the autumn session of the Federal Parliament. The Act provides for support for cross-border rail services from the climate fund. Last week, the Swiss Parliament voted in favour of supporting international passenger services, including night trains. While subject to a final vote and a possible referendum, financial support from the climate fund would compensate for the losses SBB would sustain given the high operating costs night train services involve.
ÖBB is the largest provider of night train services in Europe and has contributed significantly to maintaining night trains services from Switzerland in its existing partnership with SBB. Andreas Matthä, ÖBB CEO, said: “We have no doubts about the Nightjet’s success. With SBB as a committed and effective partner, we can continue to expand the Nightjet network even further. We are investing in new trains: 13 latest generation Nightjet sets will be in operation from the end of 2022. With additional services and modern rolling stock, taking the night train will become an even more attractive option.”
SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot has no doubt that demand for fast daytime services and night trains will continue to grow. “This is a sustainable trend and the demand for environmentally friendly and resource-efficient mobility will continue to increase.”
SBB and ÖBB consider night train services as an important element of the overall service offer and see great potential for creating synergies with daytime services. An attractive rail offer helps to achieve the goal of modal shift from short-haul flights to rail.
