AAV News in Brief

Sep 12, 2023

Lufthansa Technik, SmartLynx Airlines, Deutsche Aircraft, Private Wings, Travelex, Hong Kong Airlines, Jet Luxe, ICAO, Cargo iQ, FIATA, ASA, Pegasus Airlines, AMAC Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, GE Aerospace, Waygate Technologies, Honeywell, Neste, World Fuel Services, Leonardo, Boeing, CASA, Kempegowda International Airport, Air Algérie, Airbus

Lufthansa Technik signs TCS deal with SmartLynx Airlines: Lufthansa Technik has signed a seven-year contract with SmartLynx Airlines, the leading ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance), cargo and charter services provider, to provide Total Component Support (TCS) for their entire fleet. The recently signed contract covers more than 60 aircraft, including 53 Airbus A320s, 10 A330s and four Boeing 737 MAXs. SmartLynx Airlines has experienced rapid growth in recent years and is now focused on excellence and reliability for its customers. By partnering with Lufthansa Technik, SmartLynx Airlines aims to optimise its service and achieve better performance. The TCS contract has gone into effect on May 1 and includes services such as spare parts pooling and MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) for the required components. SmartLynx Airlines will benefit from an individual supply concept that enables short and fast transport paths within Lufthansa Technik's global supply chain, including AOG (Aircraft On Ground) support for time-critical components.

Deutsche Aircraft announces launch customer for new D328eco: Deutsche Aircraft and Private Wings announced they have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the delivery of five D328eco aircraft, the new 40-seater sustainable turboprop regional airliner from Deutsche Aircraft. The D328eco will facilitate sustainable regional connections as it offers the lowest fuel consumption and CO2 emissions on the market. This aircraft is designed to operate on 100 percent SAF power-to-liquid (PtL), which can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 95 percent. The outstanding flight characteristics and versatility of the D328eco allow it to reach destinations with short and unpaved runways in challenging weather conditions. This will open up new routes to connect businesses and people. An integrated Garmin Companion flight deck, brand-new PW127XT-S engines and a comfortable and quiet cabin make the D328eco turboprop ahead of its time: an innovative and robust aircraft which offers maximum comfort for passengers and flight crew. The combination of these features sets the D328eco apart as the most efficient, modern and sustainable regional aircraft in its class.

Lufthansa Technik pre-launches VIP cabin design for the BBJ 777-9: The cabin design takes full advantage of the vast space available on the BBJ 777-9, formerly referred to as the BBJ 777X aircraft, and prioritises versatility and multifunctionality. The design showcases an impressive array of stunning features. It furthermore maximises space and comfort, and incorporates traditional elements of Middle Eastern cultural heritage with a modern twist. One of the standout features is the VVIP section at the front with a unique private bedroom that is expandable and highly functional. The detailed design will be revealed later this year. A spacious office and reception area divides the private section from the remaining areas of the aircraft. The cabin also boasts a large majlis, with a design that seamlessly flows throughout the entire cabin. The back of the cabin has been designed to transport entourage delegations in style and convenience to cater for the needs of official missions. A special light and window shade concept has been implemented throughout the cabin, giving passengers the feeling of being in their personal living room rather than on a plane at 30,000 feet, particularly important for an ultra-long range aircraft.

Travelex launches new locations: Travelex has launched more than 20 new bureaus and partnerships across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Brazil as international aviation continue to rebound post-pandemic. In Europe, two new bureaus have opened at Frankfurt Airport (both landside) and two at Schiphol Airport. In the UK, Travelex's ATM click & collect service has been expanded following a successful pilot at Heathrow Terminal 5: 54 click & collect ATMs across all four operational Heathrow terminals are now live, plus a further 24 at Manchester Airport and seven at Birmingham Airport, allowing customers to pre-order their cash for collection via the ATM before they fly. In Brazil, Travelex has opened seven new bureaus, including four in São Paulo, one in Rio de Janeiro, one in Minas Gerais and one in Santa Catarina. Travelex has also announced a partnership with CCR Aeroportos, one of Brazil's largest airport operators, and has plans to open stores at three more airports (Navegantes, in Santa Catarina, Goiânia and Curitiba), taking the total number stores across Brazil to more than 120. Travelex has opened eight new stores in the APAC region in 2023, including a new retail store at Penang International Airport. The bureau, which is Travelex's very first retail store in the North of Malaysia (Penang), brings the total number of stores in Malaysia to eight, with two further stores – including an on-the-move kiosk – set to be launched in the coming months. In China, Travelex has opened two new stores at Chongqing Airport (one at arrivals and one at departures), whilst at Sendai Airport in Japan Travelex has opened a new landside store, its 73rd location in the country. At Hong Kong International Airport, Travelex has also extended its contract to operate its eight bureaus across arrivals, departures and transit areas (both airside and landside) by a further three years. In Australia, Travelex has opened new bureaus in Brisbane, located at the historic Anzac Square Arcade in the heart of Brisbane's CBD, and in Mandurah, Western Australia. In New Zealand Travelex has also opened new stores in Albany and Nelson. Furthermore, Travelex has signed a partnership with Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) which has seen BNZ refer all its travel money services to Travelex.

Hong Kong Airlines to launch new service to Nagoya: The expansion of Hong Kong Airlines across Japan continues, with the announcement of a new four-times weekly service connecting Hong Kong and Nagoya from 8 July 2023. Following the launch of the Fukuoka service in April and the additional flights to other resumed destinations in Japan, the service to Nagoya represents Hong Kong Airlines’ continued efforts to provide travellers more options to explore the country. Nagoya is the capital city of Aichi Prefecture and home to 2.3 million people. As the transportation hub of Japan, it is an important gateway for travellers to easily connect to different popular attractions. From the magnificent Nagoya Castle, which has a significant place in Japanese history, to the scenic countryside of Shirakawagō, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, Nagoya is an excellent destination for those looking to experience the rich history and vibrant culture of Japan. In addition to the two daily flights to Osaka and Okinawa, and three weekly flights to Sapporo; flights to Tokyo (Narita) will be increased to three times daily from June, while flights to Fukuoka and Nagoya will become daily from June and August respectively.

Jet Luxe receives Argus Rated Charter Broker Certificate: Jet Luxe has announced that it has received its ARGUS Charter Certificate – an internally recognised standard of operational and safety excellence. This milestone offers Jet Luxe's buyers, investors, and passengers around the world confidence in their decision to partner and fly with Jet Luxe. Gabriel Madrid, CEO, Jet Luxe, said, "As we continue to rapidly expand, our commitment to service, safety, and operational standards are unwavering. Achieving certification with ARGUS is a huge achievement for the team and reflective of our legitimacy and relentless commitment to excellence." The ARGUS Charter Broker Program provides end-consumers and aircraft operators with unbiased, factual, and relevant data necessary to make informed and confident decisions every time they participate in a charter flight facilitated through a charter broker. This is consistent with the ARGUS Gold and Platinum rating program for charter operators. As an ARGUS Certified Broker, Jet Luxe completed an intensive and rigorous quality review. To complete certification, Jet Luxe voluntarily submitted operational documents and signed The Air Charter Association pledge.

New ICAO professional programme for aviation regulators and managers: A new innovative initiative aimed at equipping aviation regulators and senior and mid-level managers with comprehensive professional training to address current and emerging challenges will result from an agreement signed today between ICAO, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), Korean Aerospace University (KAU), and Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC). The agreement, which was signed at the on-going ICAO Global Implementation Support Symposium in Seoul, Republic of Korea, establishes the "Global Aviation Professional Programme (GAPP)." Under this new agreement, the partners will collaborate to deliver a transformative learning experience. This programme represents a significant milestone in aviation education and training, harnessing the collective knowledge and expertise of the partners. By leveraging their combined resources, the programme will offer a dynamic curriculum covering a wide range of critical aviation topics.

Cargo iQ joins with FIATA and ASA on standards: Quality standards organisation Cargo iQ has forged a partnership with the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) and the Airport Services Association (ASA) to set shared goals for enhanced standard practices across the air cargo supply chain. The objective of the alliance is to strengthen collaboration between forwarder, ground handler, and airline communities, working on a global basis to achieve common standards and enhanced quality. The decision was made at Cargo iQ's most recent board meeting that FIATA's Director General, Stéphane Graber, and ASA's Director General, Fabio Gamba, will attend all Cargo iQ board meetings as observers and work together with the board members, with a view to intensifying the co-operation in the future.

Pegasus Airlines Receives Credit Rating Upgrade: Pegasus Airlines’ successful financial performance in 2022 has resulted in an upgrade in its credit rating. Pegasus Airlines’ long-term credit rating was upgraded from B+ to BB- by Fitch Ratings Limited (Fitch) on 14 April 2023 and from B to B+ by S&P Global Ratings (S&P) on 23 May 2023. Fitch and S&P announced their credit ratings with "Negative Outlook", mirroring that on the current macroeconomic conditions. The international credit rating agencies have also revised the credit rating of the senior unsecured debt issued by Pegasus Airlines accordingly. In the reports published by Fitch and S&P, the rating upgrade is attributed to Pegasus Airlines’ strong operational and financial results in 2022 and the subsequent quarterly period. Among global airline operators, Pegasus Airlines recorded the highest EBITDA margin with 34.1 percent and the lowest non-fuel unit cost (CASK, non-fuel) with 2.18 euro cents, based on public data. In 2022, Pegasus Airlines increased the number of passengers it carried by 34 percent, and grew its revenue by 139 percent, year-on-year. The airline also achieved €69 million EBITDA and a 15.1 percent EBITDA margin in the first quarter of 2023, making it highest first quarter performance in the company's history.

AMAC Aerospace Join Rolls-Royce European Service Network: AMAC Aerospace is joining the global support network of engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce as a European Authorised Service Centre (ASC). The Swiss experts in aviation will support the BR710A2-20 engines that power various models of the Bombardier Global business jet family. "We are proud to become a member of Rolls-Royce's global support network. It is another milestone in a strong relationship that has grown continuously in the past years," said Bernd Schramm, Group Chief Operating Officer of AMAC Aerospace. CorporateCare is Rolls-Royce's engine maintenance management offer, providing customers with faster response times and streamlined administration around the world. The company has more than 75 ASCs, representing what it claims is the largest global service network in the industry. The ASC network is augmented by on-wing service specialists located at strategic hubs around the world, as well as spare engine lease and parts storage facilities.

GE Aerospace and Waygate Technologies sign joint technology development deal: GE Aerospace and Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business and market leader in non-destructive testing (NDT) solutions for industrial inspection, announced that they have signed a joint technology development agreement (JTDA) to develop software and hardware inspection solutions for commercial aircraft engines. The agreement is designed to advance and improve the efficiency, accuracy and quality of video borescope inspections and minimize costs for Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) shops and on-wing maintenance providers. GE Aerospace and Waygate Technologies will also pursue technology solutions focused on machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). Current borescope inspection can be labour intensive, requiring highly skilled manual visual inspection to identify nonconforming indications from a host of potential unserviceable conditions or defects. AI and ML offer the ability to assist inspectors with repetitive, reliable information, improving cycle time and consistency of inspections.

Honeywell debuts new software suite for business aviation: Honeywell has developed a new suite of software-based solutions to provide advanced control and security, improve customer support, and monitor the performance of passenger connectivity. Honeywell's Cabin Sentinel, available to all Honeywell customers, will also be included in Dassault Aviation's FalconConnect line for new and existing Dassault aircraft. Cabin Sentinel's suite of complementary software solutions enhances connectivity, responsiveness of support and overall passenger experience through advanced control and security over the customer's connection. The suite allows users to extend the monitoring of their aircraft beyond just the ground, to monitor the entire network and receive vulnerability alerts.

Neste and World Fuel Services expand SAF availability: Neste and World Fuel Services are significantly expanding the availability of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Europe, building on World Fuel's extensive network and customer base and Neste's well-established production and supply chain capabilities. The expansion provides World Fuel with greater access to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for European commercial, business and general aviation customers and contributes to further reducing carbon emissions in the aviation industry and responding to increasing demand for SAF. With greater volumes of SAF from Neste, World Fuel is increasing the number of European airports they can supply with SAF from 13 to over 40. This collaboration between the two global leaders in the aviation industry also paves the way for expanding the accessibility of SAF to more than 100 airport locations presently in World Fuel's European network.

Leonardo wins new orders: Leonardo's continued success in the UK and Ireland VIP/corporate helicopter market expands as its regional distributor, Sloane, announced orders for one AW109 GrandNew and one AW109 Trekker light twin during an official ceremony held at EBACE 2023. David George, Chairman of Sloane Helicopters, said: "We are proud to further strengthen our longstanding partnership with Leonardo through the order of two more airframes. With eight new helicopters delivered since the last EBACE and more to come, this rapid expansion exemplifies Sloane's commitment to both the Leonardo products and growth of the UK & Ireland helicopter market. The addition of these two airframes further solidifies Leonardo's position as the leading helicopter manufacturer in the VIP/Corporate market and we are honoured to play a key role in this attainment." In July 2022, Sloane confirmed its Distributor Agreement for the 2022-2024 timeframe, covering both types and the AW169 light intermediate twin model. The long-term success between Sloane Helicopters and Leonardo was established in 1995, when Sloane became the sole distributor of Leonardo VIP/corporate helicopter in the UK and Ireland.

Judge rules for Boeing victims’ families: A federal judge in Chicago ruled Tuesday (May 30, 2023) that the families who suffered the loss of a loved one in the 2019 crash of a Boeing 737 MAX8 jet killing all 157 on board can obtain damages for the victims’ pain and suffering while on the plane before it crashed six minutes after takeoff. Federal District Court Judge Jorge Alonso of the Northern District of Illinois ruled late Tuesday that, "A jury could reasonably infer from the evidence that will be presented at trial that the passengers on ET 302 perceived that they were going to crash, horrifically, to their certain death." Boeing admitted sole and complete liability for the crash that came five months after another crash of the same type of aircraft minutes after takeoff from Indonesia. In a three-hour hearing, Boeing lawyers had argued that all died instantly and, therefore, weren't entitled to such damages. In the Ethiopia crash, six cases are set to go to trial before Judge Alonso June 20. About 75 remain unresolved of the 157 who were on board. Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices and Lead Counsel in the consolidated litigation before Judge Alonso said of the ruling, "We are pleased with the court's ruling. Boeing's victims undeniably suffered horrific emotional distress, pain and suffering, and physical impact and injury while they endured extreme G-forces, braced for impact, knew the airplane was malfunctioning, and ultimately plummeted nose-down to the ground at nearly 600 miles per hour, leaving a crater 30 feet deep. We look forward to upcoming trials to present this evidence to a jury and ensure Boeing is held fully accountable." Clifford went on to say, "This is a significant and strong win for the families. In a very controlled and fair measure, with his oversight at trial, the judge will allow them to push forward the claims of emotional distress experienced by their loved ones who needlessly died at the hands of a company that put profits over safety and allowed the crash to occur that could have been completely avoided."

Review of Australia's Southport airspace commences: The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is reviewing the Gold Coast airspace in which two helicopters tragically collided in January. CASA is seeking direct feedback from pilots and operators separate to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation into the Sea World Helicopters accident on 2 January. An initial review of the airspace has not indicated there are any safety issues relating to airspace arrangements, but this broader work will seek input from airspace users and operators. "While there's no indication at this stage that airspace design played a part in this devastating accident, we want to make sure we’ve given all pilots and airspace users the opportunity to provide their views on airspace arrangements," CASA Branch Manager Air Navigation, Airspace and Aerodromes, Adrian Slootjes, said. "The first stage of this work involves collecting data to inform a formal airspace review. We’ve had people on the ground last week observing operations and talking to operators. This will be used alongside information we receive through our broader consultation activities. We want all pilots and operators that fly in this area to let us know about their experiences." Data will be collected to help CASA analyse aircraft operations, aircraft landing areas, helicopter landing sites and the surrounding airspace. This will be used to inform a formal airspace review. The accident is subject to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation that is anticipated to be completed in the second half of 2024.

Kempegowda International Airport achieves green rating: Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (KIAB/BLR Airport), operated by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), has achieved a significant milestone by attaining Level 4+ Transition under the globally recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program. This prestigious accreditation, led by the Airports Council International (ACI), reflects BIAL's commitment to efficient carbon management and sustainability. The Level 4+ Transition accreditation is one of the highest accolades an airport can receive under the Airport Carbon Accreditation program, showcasing BIAL's aspiration to become net zero by 2030 and its continuous efforts in reducing carbon emissions. Furthermore, BIAL has received ACI's Green Airports Recognition 2023 Platinum award in the 15-35 million passengers per annum category, as a recognition of its Plastics Circularity initiatives such as single-use plastic elimination and roads from plastic waste at BLR Airport.

Air Algérie orders five Airbus A330-900s and two A350-1000s: Air Algérie, the national airline of Algeria, has signed a firm order for seven widebody aircraft to support its commercial development. This order will allow Air Algérie to take full advantage of the flexibility of the Airbus product range, strengthen its regional services and offer an ambitious plan for transcontinental destinations. By operating the A330neo alongside the A350-1000, Air Algérie will also benefit from operational savings such as a 25 percent lower fuel burn per seat and greater flexibility resulting from the unique commonality between members of the Airbus aircraft Family. The A330neo and the A350 also feature the award-winning Airspace cabin, which offers passengers a high level of comfort, ambience, and design. This includes more individual space, enlarged overhead bins, a new lighting system and access to the latest in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems. The A330neo Family is powered by the latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the A330-900 is capable of flying 7,200 nm / 13,334 km non-stop. By the end of April 2023, the A330 Family had 1,775 firm orders from 130 customers worldwide. This makes it the most popular widebody family ever, dominating the short-and medium-haul market.