Story by Qantas, image by Airbus

QantasLink’s next generation Airbus A220 aircraft has landed in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia today. Launceston became the first city outside Australian capitals to welcome the new aircraft.

The inaugural flight landed at 10.40am and was operated by the QantasLink aircraft named, Koala, the second A220 to join the QantasLink fleet earlier this year. There are four A220 aircraft currently operating across the Qantas network, with the fifth expected to arrive in November.

The aircraft is more fuel efficient than previous generation aircraft. Its modern light and bright cabin design with large windows and around 20 per cent more overhead lockers, specially designed seats and greater sense of space offers a more comfortable flight for customers.

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New QANTAS A220 arrives in Launceston

Story and image from ATR

Toulouse, France, October 11, 2024 – Mandarin Airlines, the regional subsidiary of Taiwan’s flag carrier China Airlines, and the world’s number one regional aircraft manufacturer ATR, today announced the signature of a firm order for one ATR 72-600, underscoring the airline’s confidence in ATR as the optimal platform for the island’s domestic operations.

This strategic agreement comes swiftly on the heels of the order for six ATR 72-600 placed at last year’s Paris Air Show. Delivery of the additional aircraft is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026, to meet Mandarin Airlines’ peak season demand. Three of the six aircraft from the previous order have been delivered, while deliveries of the next three will take place in the third and fourth quarter of 2025.

The cutting-edge turboprop will complement the airline’s existing fleet of 12 ATR 72-600. Operating primarily from its main hub at Taipei Songshan Airport, Mandarin Airlines plays a pivotal role in Taiwan’s domestic network, offering essential connections to eight key destinations, including the islands of Kinmen, Penghu and Matsu. Reliable air services ensure consistent access to essential goods, services, and transportation for residents and businesses, in addition to stimulating economic growth and fostering social integration.

Story and image from Etihad Airways

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, October 11, 2024 – Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, is boosting its weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Jaipur to ten a week from 15 December, 2024.

The announcement, coming less than four months after the airline began serving the Rajasthan city, underlines the popularity of the route.

Guests flying from Jaipur to the United States can take advantage of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility at Abu Dhabi, streamlining the immigration process and ensuring a hassle-free journey.

The increase in the Jaipur frequency further highlights Etihad’s deepening commitment to the Indian market where the airline has increased its capacity by more than a third over the past 12 months, and recently celebrated the 20^th anniversary of its first service to the subcontinent.

The flights will be operated with aircraft from the Airbus A320 family, offering Etihad’s award-winning service to guests in both Business and Economy cabins, convenient flight timings to the UAE’s capital city and seamless connections to destinations across the airline’s growing global network.

Story from United Airlines

Chicago, Illinois, October 10, 2024, PRNewswire – United Airlines announces the largest international expansion in its history with service to eight new cities.

Starting in May 2025, United will launch five new nonstop flights* from its hub in Newark/New York to destinations no other U.S. airline serves including Nuuk, Greenland; Palermo, Italy; Bilbao, Spain; Madeira Island, Portugal and Faro, Portugal. The airline is also adding three new nonstop routes from Washington D.C./Dulles, including its first-ever flight to Dakar, Senegal operating year-round and new seasonal nonstop flights to Nice, France and Venice, Italy.

Already the U.S. carrier with the most flights across the Atlantic, United’s summer 2025 transatlantic schedule will be the largest in its history with more than 760 weekly flights. In addition to new flights, customers will have even more time to explore Venice, Italy; Athens, Greece; and Barcelona, Spain with earlier start dates next summer. The airline will also increase the number of weekly direct flights between Newark/New York-Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Newark/New York-Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Newark/New York–Athens, Greece.

United is also adding new direct flights from Tokyo–Narita to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and Kaohsiung – destinations no other U.S. airline serves – and a new nonstop flight to Koror, Palau. These new flights will seamlessly connect in Tokyo to United’s transpacific services to five hub locations in the continental United States.

*All new routes are subject to government approvals

Story and image from A.P. Moller – Maersk

Felixstowe, Suffolk, England,  – Today, A.P. Moller – Maersk has celebrated the naming of its latest dual-fuel methanol container vessel “Alexandra Maersk”. The UK’s Maritime Minister Mike Kane, representatives of the IMO, customers and Maersk employees joined the festive event at the Port of Felixstowe, UK. Elaine Condon, Director of People & Culture at Primark, is the godmother of the ship, representing the close logistics and sustainability partnership between Maersk and its customer Primark.

“Alexandra Maersk” is the sixth vessel in Maersk’s owned fleet being able to sail on methanol in its main and auxiliary engines. It is the fifth ship in a series of 18 large dual-fuel methanol vessels scheduled for delivery in 2024 and 2025. Each can carry more than 16,000 standard containers (TEU).

Maersk’s ECO Delivery Ocean is based on reduced GHG emission fuels like bio-diesel which is used on vessels across the Maersk fleet, and now also green methanol which our newest vessels like “Alexandra Maersk” are capable of sailing on.

Story and image from Embraer

São José dos Campos, Brazil, October 10, 2024 – The Embraer E190F E-Freighter has been fully certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Embraer’s passenger-to-freighter conversion and the Cargo Loading System, developed by U.S. Cargo Systems, have received the certification by FAA in September 2024. In July, the E-Freighter was certified by the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) and EASA certification is due later this year. The aircraft was developed to fill a gap in the air cargo market and to replace older, less efficient models.

The E190F program was launched in May 2022 to meet the changing demands of e-commerce and modern trade, which require fast deliveries and decentralized operations driving the demand for faster delivery of shipments to regional markets. The E-Freighter made its debut flight in April and its first public appearance during the Farnborough Airshow in July.

E-Jets converted to freighters will have over 40% more volume capacity, three times the range of large cargo turboprops, and up to 30% lower operating costs than larger narrowbodies. If combining capacity under the floor and main deck, the maximum structural payload is 13,500 kg for the E190F.

Story and image from BAE Systems

Named after the ancient Greek king, Agamemnon is the sixth of seven Astute Class submarines, all of which have been designed and built at the Company’s historic Barrow shipyard – home of UK submarine building. The nuclear-powered boat, which weighs in at 7,400 tonnes and is 97 metres long, rolled out of the Devonshire Dock Hall and entered the water for the first time today. Agamemnon will now begin the next phase of its test and commissioning programme, before leaving Barrow for sea trials with the Royal Navy.

The Astute Class boats are the largest and most advanced attack submarines ever built for the Royal Navy. Their state-of-the-art nuclear technology means they never need to be refuelled and, as they manufacture their own oxygen and drinking water for their 98 crew members, they are able to circumnavigate the globe without surfacing.

The first five submarines in the class, HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful, HMS Audacious and HMS Anson, have been handed over to the Royal Navy, with work well underway for the final Astute boat, Agincourt.

Story and image from SAS

SAS and Virgin Atlantic are delighted to announce a new codeshare agreement, strengthening vital business and leisure connections to and from Scandinavia.

The codeshare partnership, launching on October 7th, will allow SAS customers to connect via Heathrow to additional Virgin Atlantic’s destinations, with availability expanding as approvals are finalized. Virgin Atlantic customers travelling on flights from the US and Canada can purchase seamless onward connections through London Heathrow and Manchester, onto SAS’ services to Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stavanger and Bergen.

Following SAS’ formal enrolment into SkyTeam on September 1st, of which Virgin Atlantic is the only UK airline, SAS EuroBonus members will receive instant earning and redeeming opportunities when travelling on Virgin Atlantic. Additionally, Flying Club members will be able to earn and redeem their points across SAS services.

SAS EuroBonus Gold and Diamond members alongside Virgin Atlantic’s Gold – Flying Club members, can take advantage of SkyPriority services at London Heathrow, with benefits including priority check in, baggage handling and boarding. Virgin Atlantic’s Gold and Silver Flying Club members can take advantage of SkyPriority services and SAS lounges at Stockholm Arlanda, Copenhagen and Oslo airports.

Story and image from Saab

Saab announced the initial MSHORAD order from Lithuania in July 2024. With this additional order, a second battery within the Lithuanian armed forces will be provided with Saab’s mobile air defence capability.

The order includes Mobile Firing Units, Mobile Radar Units and a Command- and Control (C2) system. Saab will integrate MSHORAD into JLTV vehicles manufactured by the U.S. company Oshkosh before delivery to the customer.

MSHORAD is Saab’s mobile air defence solution. The system consists of the Mobile Radar Unit based on the Giraffe 1X radar, the Mobile Firing Unit based on the RBS 70 NG, all connected with GBAD C2, which is Saab’s command and control system for ground-based air defence.

Story and image from Alstom

October 3, 2024 – Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, will supply 12 Avelia Horizon very high-speed trains to Proxima and provide 15 years of maintenance on the lines along the Atlantic coast in France. The total order is worth almost 850 million euros[1]. First deliveries are expected in 2028.

Avelia Horizon reduces operating costs. The train has fewer bogies, which account for 30% of the cost of preventive maintenance. With the largest passenger capacity in the market, Avelia Horizon offers great level of service and comfort, and consequently lowers operating costs per seat.

Proxima, the launch of which has been announced in June 2024, is headed by two leading figures in the railway industry: Rachel Picard and Tim Jackson. It is fully financed by Antin Infrastructure Partners, backed by a consortium of leading French and international banks. Its very high-speed trains would serve Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Angers and Paris, for journeys of 2 hours or less.

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Alstom receives Proxima order for high speed trains