Twinjet, s-duct, winglets, contra-rotating propellers: the aviation industry has developed numerous configurations over the last five decades that have enabled aircraft to fly higher, faster and longer. Now, Airbus engineers are unveiling a new configuration as part of the ZEROe programme that could enable a passenger aircraft to fly farther than ever without emissions.
The innovative approach consists of six, eight-bladed “pods” mounted beneath the aircraft wing. While the “podded” engine is not a new concept in aviation, these “pods” are not designed to be driven by any ordinary propulsion system: hydrogen fuel cells are among the key components.
“The ‘pod’ configuration is essentially a distributed fuel cell propulsion system that delivers thrust to the aircraft via six propulsors arranged along the wing,” explains Matthieu Thomas, ZEROe Aircraft Lead Architect. “Hydrogen fuel cells have very different design considerations, so we knew we had to come up with a unique approach.”
Indeed, hydrogen fuel cell technology has yet to be scaled up to a passenger-size large commercial aircraft. Smaller experimental hydrogen aircraft, comprising up to 20 seats, can rely on a traditional fixed-wing configuration with two propellers. But more passenger capacity and longer range require another solution. This is why Airbus is studying a variety of configurations, including “pods,” to determine which option has the potential to scale up to larger aircraft.
Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Ryanair announced today that Europe’s largest airline is placing a firm order for 75 additional 737 MAX airplanes, increasing its order book to 210 jets. Ryanair again selected the 737 8-200, a higher-capacity version of the 737-8, citing the airplane’s additional seats and improved fuel efficiency and environmental performance.
“Ryanair’s board and people are confident that our customers will love these new aircraft. Passengers will enjoy the new interiors, more generous leg room, lower fuel consumption and quieter noise performance. And, most of all, our customers will love the lower fares, which these aircraft will enable Ryanair to offer starting in 2021 and for the next decade, as Ryanair leads the recovery of Europe’s aviation and tourism industries,” said Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary.
O’Leary and Ryanair leaders joined the Boeing team for a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C. Both companies acknowledged COVID-19’s impacts on air traffic in the near-term, but expressed confidence in the resilience and strength of the passenger demand over the long term.
“As soon as the COVID-19 virus recedes – and it likely will in 2021 with the rollout of multiple effective vaccines – Ryanair and our partner airports across Europe will – with these environmentally efficient aircraft – rapidly restore flights and schedules, recover lost traffic and help the nations of Europe recover their tourism industries, and get young people back to work across the cities, beaches and ski resorts of the European Union,” O’Leary said.
Ryanair is the launch customer for the high-capacity 737-8 variant, having placed its first order for 100 airplanes and 100 options in late 2014, followed by firm orders of 10 airplanes in 2017 and 25 in 2018. The 737 8-200 will enable Ryanair to configure its aircraft with 197 seats, increasing revenue potential, and reduce fuel consumption by 16 percent compared to the airline’s previous airplanes.
3D imagery, 737-800W, NG, 737, -800, -900, -700, -600
– The 737-800BCF now has 134 orders and commitments
– Two additional freighter conversion lines are launched to meet strong demand in express traffic and e-commerce markets
Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced a firm order from an unidentified customer for two 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF), as well as agreements to open additional conversion lines in Guangzhou, China, and Singapore to meet strong market demand.
Based on the popular Next-Generation 737, the 737-800BCF offers operators newer technology, lower fuel consumption and higher reliability than other standard-body freighters. Primarily used to carry express cargo on domestic or short-haul routes, the airplane is capable of carrying up to 23.9 tonnes (52,800 pounds) and flying up to 2,000 nautical miles (3,750 kilometers).
The 737-800BCF now has 134 orders and commitments.
The new 737-800BCF line at Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Limited (GAMECO) is scheduled to open in early 2021, marking the MRO’s second conversion line for the market-leading 737-800BCF. To date, Boeing has delivered 36 737-800BCF to more than 10 operators across four continents.
Boeing will also add a second conversion line for its widebody converted freighter, the 767-300BCF, at ST Engineering’s facility in Singapore. The second line is scheduled to open later this year.
The world’s most efficient freighter in its class, the Boeing 767 freighter family offers the lowest operating costs per trip and allows airlines to develop new opportunities in the long-haul, regional and feeder markets. The 767-300BCF has virtually the same cargo capability as the 767-300F production freighter with up to 56.5 tonnes (124,600 pounds) of payload and flying up to 3,350 nautical miles (6,190 kilometers).
The Boeing freighter family, which includes production and converted freighters, provides more than 90 percent of the world’s freighter capacity, offering an unmatched selection of capacity and capability with superior economics in every freighter size.
3D imagery, 737-800W, NG, 737, -800, -900, -700, -600
Alstom is proud to deliver the first two of the 25 Citadis X05 trams ordered by Attiko Metro, the urban transport authority of Athens, in July 2018. The tram will begin dynamic tests at the end of September before being put into passenger service in February 2021.
The 25 trams will run on the city’s existing network, as well as on any planned extensions. The delivery of the last tram is expected by the end of May 2021.
“Alstom is proud to bring its latest generation of tram to Athens. By providing reliable and modern rolling stock, we commit to supporting the development of urban transport in Athens, to further increase the capacity and availability of the existing lines and their extensions,”said Stavros Vlachos, Managing Director Alstom Greece.
In addition to the manufacturing and supply of the trams, Alstom is also responsible for the on-site testing, training and warranty services, as well as spare parts for the vehicles. These are Alstom’s first trams sold in Greece, after the company provided 28 metro trains in early 2000 for the first Athens Metro project.
The modern Citadis X05 trams will supplement the existing fleet of light rail vehicles for use on the network in Athens and Piraeus. This latest generation from the Citadis range offers superior passenger experience, with 20% more glass surfaces, LEDs for soft, homogeneous lighting, large individual seats, and travel information on large screens via a telematic system. The five-section trams will be 33 metres long, with a capacity of 294 passengers. Double doors along the entire length of the tramway ensure enhanced accessibility.
The Citadis X05, the latest version of the Citadis range, boasts a number of new technologies, including permanent magnet motors for higher efficiency, as well as optimised HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning), which together reduce its energy consumption by 25%. Simplified sub-system integration and maintenance decrease lifecycle costs, while the tramway is 97% recyclable. To date, Citadis X05 has been sold in cities such as Sydney, Paris, Nice, Avignon, Caen, Lusail, Frankfurt and Athens.
2,700 vehicles of the Citadis range have been sold in 60 cities worldwide. Citadis trams have covered over 1 billion kilometres and transported 10 billion passengers since the first tram entered service in 2000.
BERLIN (Reuters) – A German court on Sunday ordered Tesla Inc to stop clearing forest land near the capital Berlin to build its first European car and battery factory, a victory for local environmental activists.
The U.S. electric carmaker announced plans last November to build a Gigafactory in Gruenheide in the eastern state of Brandenburg.
The court ruling, by the higher administrative court of the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, comes after the state environmental office gave a green light to clear 92 hectares of forest for the plant.
Planning permission has not yet been granted to build the Gigafactory, however, meaning U.S. entrepreneur Elon Musk’s company is preparing the ground at its own risk.
In a statement, the court said it had issued the order to stop the tree-felling because it would have only taken three more days to complete the work.
Otherwise the clearance would have been completed before judges made a final decision on the complaint brought by a local environmentalist group called the Gruene Liga Brandenburg (Green League of Brandenburg).
“It should not be assumed that the motion seeking legal protection brought by the Green League lacks any chance of succeeding,” the court statement added.
Lawmakers from the pro-business Christian Democrat and Free Democrat parties have warned that the legal battle waged against the Gigafactory would inflict serious and long-lasting damage on Germany’s image as a place to do business.
Local and national lawmakers have been caught out by the strength of opposition to the Gigafactory, with hundreds of demonstrators protesting over what they say is the threat it poses to local wildlife and water supplies.
Tesla currently has two Gigafactories in the United States and one in Shanghai, China.
Tesla shares have surged 340% since early June as more investors bet on Musk’s vision.
(Reporting by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government’s decision to raise tariffs on European-built aircraft will hit U.S. airlines already facing a shortage of aircraft and complicate efforts to reach a negotiated settlement with the European Union, Airbus <AIR.PA> said.
The European planemaker said it would continue discussions with its U.S. customers to “mitigate effects of tariffs insofar as possible” and hoped the U.S. Trade Representative’s office would change its position.
“USTR’s decision ignores the many submissions made by U.S. airlines, highlighting the fact that they – and the U.S. flying public – ultimately have to pay these tariffs,” the company said in a statement.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
DEARBORN, Mich. (Reuters) – Investors sent Ford Motor Co shares skidding on Tuesday after the company delivered a weaker-than-expected 2020 forecast, warning of higher warranty costs, lower profits at its credit arm and continued investments in future technology such as self-driving cars.
Shares in the No. 2 U.S. automaker plunged 9.4% in after-hours trading, shaving more than $3 billion off the company’s value. In comparison, electric carmaker Tesla closed up nearly 14%, pushing its market cap to $160 billion, more than four times the size of Ford’s $36.4 billion.
“The results were not OK in 2019,” Ford Chief Financial Officer Tim Stone told reporters at the company’s headquarters outside Detroit.
“As I look to 2020 and beyond, I’m very optimistic,” he said, while cautioning that Ford’s lower guidance does not yet account for the potential impact of the coronavirus outbreak in China.
In an after-hours call with financial analysts, Chief Executive Jim Hackett was more blunt about the challenge of balancing Ford’s protracted turnaround efforts with its continuing work on future technology, including electric and self-driving cars.
“I don’t think this company can keep straddling the old and new worlds forever … This company has to change,” Hackett said.
Ford said it expects 2020 operating earnings to be in the range of 94 cents to $1.20 a share. Analysts were expecting $1.26 a share.
Stone said Ford expects to continue its quarterly dividend of 15 cents, which could cost the company $2.4 billion in 2020. Asked about continuing the dividend after lowering its 2020 guidance, Hackett said, “We like to return value to shareholders.”
The disappointing 2020 forecast, coming after Ford previously trimmed its 2019 outlook, is a blow for Hackett, who took the helm in May 2017.
He has been asking investors to be patient with a restructuring that has seen the formation of a wide-ranging alliance on commercial, electric and autonomous vehicles with Volkswagen AG <VOWG_p.DE> and the sale of its money-losing operations in India to a venture controlled by India’s Mahindra & Mahindra.
But by Ford’s own accounting, the restructuring is far from complete. It has booked $3.7 billion of the projected $11 billion in charges it previously said it would take, and expects to book another $900 million to $1.4 billion this year.
For the fourth quarter of 2019, Ford reported a net loss of $1.7 billion, or 42 cents a share, compared with a loss of $100 million, or 3 cents a share, a year earlier.
The quarter included a loss of $2.2 billion due to higher contributions to its employee pension plans, something it disclosed last month.
Revenue in the quarter fell 5% to $39.7 billion, above the $36.5 billion Wall Street had expected.
Ford’s adjusted free cash flow fell 67% in the fourth quarter to $500 million, including the $600 million cost of bonuses related to a new labor deal with the United Auto Workers union. The UAW deal also played a role in driving North American automotive profit margins down to 2.8% in the fourth quarter.
Ford said its operating losses in China last year totaled $771 million, including a loss of $207 million in the fourth quarter. It lost $1.5 billion in 2018. Ford’s market share in China in the fourth quarter fell to 2% from 2.3% last year.
In December, Ford said it would halve its operating loss in 2019 and nearly halve it again in 2020, followed by further improvement in 2021.
However, that forecast was before the appearance of the fast-spreading coronavirus and its crippling effects on China’s economy.
Ford’s China sales fell about 15% in the fourth quarter and 26% for the year as it continued to lose ground in its second-biggest market. Ford has been struggling to revive sales in China since its business began slumping in late 2017.
Detroit rivals General Motors Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are scheduled to report their results on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
(Reporting by Ben Klayman and Paul Lienert; Editing by Tom Brown)
FILE PHOTO: The corporate logo of Ford is seen at Brussels Motor Show
(Reuters) – Ford Motor Co <F> said on Wednesday its fourth quarter results will be hit by a pre-tax loss of about $2.2 billion (1.7 billion pounds) due to higher contributions to its employees pension plans.
The charge is largely related to a drop in discount rates, the company said, as that leads to an increase in the amount of money to be contributed for future pension benefits.
The U.S. automaker said it will record a $2 billion loss related to pension plans outside the United States and a $600 million loss associated with other post-retirement employee benefits plans globally.
However, the overall loss was offset by a $400 million gain associated with pension plans in the United States.
On an after-tax basis, the loss is expected to reduce Ford’s net income by about $1.7 billion in the fourth quarter. The loss will not impact the adjusted earnings per share as it is a special item, the company said.
(Reporting by Dominic Roshan K. L. in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
BERLIN (Reuters) – Luxury German carmaker Daimler <DDAIF> and Volvo Cars, owned by China’s Geely, are considering cooperating to cut the costs of developing combustion engines, a magazine reported on Sunday, citing unnamed company sources.
The Automobilwoche weekly cited a Volvo manager as saying there were initial talks with Daimler, but no concrete plans, while a company spokesman said it was too early to talk about firm projects, although it was not excluding anybody.
A Daimler spokesman said the company’s cooperation with Geely, which owns a 10% stake in the German carmaker, was developing in a positive way, but declined to comment further.
Global tariffs, accelerated by a trade war between China and the United States, as well as higher investment requirements for electric and autonomous vehicles, are forcing carmakers to seek new ways to cut and share costs.
In October, Volvo said it would merge its engine development and manufacturing assets with those of Geely, creating a division to supply in-house brands and also potentially others with next-generation combustion and hybrid engines.
The Automobilwoche said this new division would start operating by the end of March, which could be a possible starting point for cooperation with Daimler, while a further step could be a partnership to develop electric power trains.
Geely and Daimler have said they plan to build the next generation of Smart electric cars in China through a joint venture and the two companies are also cooperating on a premium ride-hailing service in China.
Geely bought Volvo Cars in 2010 from Ford Motor Co <F.N>, allowing the Swedish brand to operate on an arms-length basis. But in recent years, it has deepened cooperation between the two brands.
Volvo already supplies engines to some Geely-branded vehicles, sharing technology through Geely’s Lynk brand. Both companies share and develop common vehicle platforms.
(Reporting by Emma Thomasson and Georg Merziger; editing by Jason Neely)
– 28th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook projects 2020 deliveries to be higher than 2019 as new models enter service
– Five-year purchase plans for new business jets down slightly, but plans to buy used jets grow significantly
– Long-range forecast predicts healthy market with steady annual growth
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The business jet industry is expected to see strong growth in the short to medium term, supported by several new airplane models coming to the market, according to Honeywell’s (HON) 28th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook. Released today, the Global Business Aviation Outlook forecasts up to 7,600 new business jet deliveries worth $248 billion from 2020 to 2029, down 1 to 2 percentage points from the 2018 10-year forecast.
“Production ramp up on many new business jet platforms are expected to lead to a 7% increase in deliveries in 2020, following a strong projected growth in 2019 over 2018 aircraft deliveries,” said Heath Patrick, president, Americas Aftermarket, Honeywell Aerospace. “We are confident that these new and innovative aircraft models will support solid growth in the short term and have a continuing impact on new business jet purchases in the midterm and long term.”
Key findings in the 2019 Honeywell global outlook include:
Operators plan to make new jet purchases equivalent to about 17% of their fleets over the next five years as replacements or additions to their current fleet, a decrease of 3 percentage points compared with 2018 survey results.
Of the total purchase plans for new business jets over the next 5 years, 35% are expected to occur in the first two years of the survey, with 57% of purchase plans realized by year three. This is 5 percentage points higher than last year’s survey.
Operators continue to focus on larger-cabin aircraft classes, from large cabin through ultralong-range aircraft, which are expected to account for more than 71% of all expenditures of new business jets in the next five years.
