July 19

More articles from the category

July 19

Saudia orders 50 Lilium Jets: Largest order for the company to date

The Saudi airline Saudia has placed a significant order for Lilium. 50 Lilium Jets have been ordered through its subsidiary Saudia Private, with an option for a further 50 aircraft. The agreement, which Lilium says is worth around $350 million, marks the company's largest firm order to date. Deliveries of the electric vertical take-off aircraft are scheduled for 2026. The Lilium Jet is currently still in the testing phase, with the first manned test flights planned for the end of the year. The contract secures Lilium financial resources through advance payments before deliveries. This increases the company's total order backlog to 106 Lilium Jets and 76 options. There are also letters of intent to purchase a further 600 units. The announcement has led to a significant increase in Lilium's share price.

Continue reading "

Easyjet and partners expand hydrogen infrastructure in the UK

The airline Easyjet, Airbus, London Gatwick and Air Products have entered into a partnership to expand the hydrogen infrastructure in the UK. This collaboration is intended to pave the way for the use of hydrogen-powered aircraft and is part of the goal of putting a hydrogen-powered aircraft into service by 2035. As part of the "Hydrogen Hubs at Airports" project, the infrastructure for the supply, storage and refueling of liquid hydrogen at London Gatwick Airport will be expanded. This also includes testing hydrogen use and support for short and medium-haul flights. The partnership aims to create the necessary ecosystem for hydrogen operations and drive the decarbonization of air transport. The parties emphasize that hydrogen will play a key role in reducing emissions in air transport. London Gatwick is an ideal test bed for this technology due to its importance in British air traffic and Easyjet's operational experience. Air Products brings its expertise in hydrogen production and distribution, while Airbus is driving the development and integration of hydrogen aircraft. Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick, highlights that the airport sees hydrogen as a key factor in reducing emissions alongside sustainable fuels. Suzanne Lowe of Air Products stresses the importance of the partnership for the future of sustainable aviation and the UK economy.

Continue reading "

Flylili delays fleet expansion due to serious deficiencies

Romanian airline Flylili is facing delays in its planned fleet expansion. During an inspection of an Airbus A319, the Romanian Civil Aviation Authority found 61 serious defects that could affect the aircraft's airworthiness. Due to these defects, Flylili cannot put the aircraft into service by July 15 as planned. Flylili has explained to “CH-Aviation” that the Airbus A319's Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) is taking longer than expected. This is due to increased demand and supply chain issues in the aviation industry. The airline now plans to put the aircraft into service on August 2, while simultaneously resuming scheduled flights to Germany, which were suspended shortly after the first flight. In addition, Flylili intends to add more Airbus A319s to its fleet. The aircraft come from Ita Airways and one is currently at Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

Continue reading "

Air Astana Group strengthens fleet with new Airbus A320neo

The Kazakhstani Air Astana Group, consisting of Air Astana and FlyArystan, has added three new Airbus A320s to its fleets to further pursue its environmental protection and efficiency goals. With the new additions, the group's total fleet now includes 54 aircraft, 47 of which are Airbus models. This expansion will allow it to further expand its domestic and international route network. Air Astana recently received another Airbus A320neo aircraft. This modern short- and medium-haul jet is characterized by long range and low fuel consumption. At the 2024 World Airline Awards, Air Astana was named "Best Airline in Central Asia & CIS" for the twelfth time in a row. FlyArystan has also added two new aircraft to its fleet: a 320-seat Airbus A188neo and a 320-seat Airbus A180ceo. The low-cost carrier's fleet now consists of 22 Airbus A320 aircraft. Since it began operations in 2019, FlyArystan has more than quintupled passenger numbers and carried around 2023 million passengers in 3,6. At the 2024 World Airline Awards, FlyArystan was named "Best Low-Cost Carrier in Central Asia & CIS" for the second time. Richard Ledger, Acting President of FlyArystan, emphasized that the new aircraft underline the airline's commitment to growing air traffic to and from Kazakhstan as well as within the country. This not only promotes tourism, but also economic and social development.

Continue reading "

Air India: Unscheduled landing in Siberia due to smoke alarm

An Air India Boeing 777-200LR flying from Delhi to San Francisco was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, due to a smoke alarm in the cargo deck. Flight AI-173 was carrying 225 passengers and 19 crew members. This incident is not the first of its kind: in June 2023, a similar aircraft operated by the airline had to make an emergency landing in Russia due to engine problems. The situation poses logistical challenges for Air India, as spare parts are difficult to obtain due to sanctions against Russia. In addition, the US State Department fears that Russia could use unplanned stopovers to detain US citizens on board. While European and American airlines are avoiding Russian airspace, Air India continues to fly over Russia.

Continue reading "

Germandrones opens new location in Mönchengladbach

Germandrones, a leading developer of unmanned aerial systems, is opening a new production and development site at Mönchengladbach Airport (MGL) in addition to its headquarters in Berlin. This move follows successful joint research projects with the MGL team, including the field test of the Songbird drone as part of the SkyCab project in 2021. The new site is intended to intensify cooperation in research projects such as SkyTRACKplus, which focuses on the development of publishable and controlled flight procedures for drones and air taxis. Part of this project is the testing of drone logistics for the transport of medical samples between hospitals and laboratories. Germandrones plans to use drones to help relieve congestion in inner cities and supplement rescue helicopters. MGL Managing Director Andreas Ungar emphasizes the importance of cooperation for climate-neutral and efficient aviation. Germandrones CEO Dr. Klaus Scho highlights the advantages of the location, in particular the proximity to universities and the strong aviation community in the Rhineland region. Five full-time employees were initially hired for the new location, with further hiring planned. Germandrones is currently looking for pilots for tests and customer presentations as well as hardware and software developers for the further development of the systems.

Continue reading "

Eurowings digitizes aircraft maintenance with Aviatar

Eurowings Technik is the first CAMO organization in the Lufthansa Group to complete the introduction of the Aviatar Electronic Technical Logbook (eTLB) for the entire Eurowings fleet. This digital solution replaces paper-based processes in the cockpit, such as the documentation of pre-flight checks and the recording of technical defects, which previously had to be entered manually and with a time delay into various systems. Thanks to the connection to the AMOS maintenance software, the eTLB enables almost real-time communication between the crew and the technical department and improves transparency about the technical condition of the aircraft. Eurowings and Aviatar, a digital platform from Lufthansa Technik, have a long-standing partnership and are working together to further develop digital solutions for more stable and reliable flight operations. The Aviatar solutions already in use include Condition Monitoring, Predictive Health Analytics and the Engineering Analytics Suite. The introduction of the eTLB represents another important step in this partnership. Matthias Gruber, Vice President Technical Fleet Management Eurowings and Managing Director Eurowings Technik, emphasized the increased efficiency and sustainability brought about by the eTLB. Frank Martens, Senior Director Sales Aviatar and Digital Products at Lufthansa Technik, underlined the continuous efforts to develop the best digital solutions together with partners. The Aviatar Technical Logbook offers pre-filled text blocks and automated input masks to record technical problems in flight and on the ground. It works on various devices and gives pilots access to the aircraft status anytime, anywhere. The real-time availability of the data, which is directly connected to the M&E system, ensures seamless collaboration between the cockpit and maintenance, resulting in reduced turnaround times and costs.

Continue reading "

Ryanair is looking for flight attendants in Germany

Ryanair has announced a new recruitment campaign for 150 new cabin crew members to strengthen the airline's German route network. To find the right candidates, Ryanair's recruitment partner Cabin Crew International is organizing information events in several German cities. The events will take place on the following dates: Participants will have the opportunity to meet current crew members and learn more about working as cabin crew at Ryanair. The event offers an industry-leading roster with 5 days on and 3 days off, an attractive remuneration package, fast career opportunities and discounted travel benefits.

Continue reading "

IAG hopes for rapid approval of Air Europa takeover

Lufthansa's takeover of the Italian airline ITA Airways has overcome a significant hurdle: the approval of the Brussels competition authority. This decision is being closely watched by the entire aviation industry and marks an important step in the consolidation of European airlines. Luis Gallego, CEO of the International Airlines Group (IAG), welcomed the decision and sees it as a positive signal for the industry. The European Commission's approval of Lufthansa's takeover of ITA Airways is seen as a strategic success for the German airline. This takeover not only strengthens Lufthansa's position in southern Europe, but also enables stronger networking within the Star Alliance. The acquisition of ITA Airways is part of Lufthansa's long-term strategy to expand its market presence in Europe and to assert itself against increasing competition. IAG's ambitions and challenges In parallel, IAG, the parent company of British Airways and Iberia, is facing similar challenges. IAG is waiting for approval for the complete takeover of the Spanish airline Air Europa. This process is also being examined by the European Commission and is complex. IAG CEO Luis Gallego stresses that the company is working closely with the EU Commission to go through every route in detail in order to obtain approval. Gallego told the Financial Times that the approval of Lufthansa's takeover of ITA was a sign that the European Commission recognizes the value of consolidation and strong European airlines. This development could also have a positive impact on IAG's own takeover plans. Plan B and further expansion strategies If the EU Commission does not approve the takeover of Air Europa, IAG has alternative plans

Continue reading "

NTSB hearing on Boeing 737 Max 9: Another step towards clarifying the door stopper incident

On August 6 and 7, 2024, the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a hearing to determine the "facts, circumstances and probable cause" of the incident in which a door stopper on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 burst shortly after takeoff. This hearing is of key importance to the aviation industry as it will not only shed light on the specific incident but could also restore confidence in Boeing's safety standards. The incident occurred on January 5, 2024, when a door stopper on an Alaska Airlines passenger plane broke off shortly after takeoff. This incident has caused great uncertainty in the aviation industry and was a key factor in one of the most difficult years in Boeing's long history. The 737 MAX 9, which has already made headlines in the past due to technical problems, has once again come under the spotlight of safety authorities and the public. Details of the upcoming hearing The NTSB released details of the upcoming hearing on July 17, 2024. Led by NTSB Chief Jennifer Homendy, board members Michael Graham, Thomas Chapman, Alvin Brown and Todd Inman will attend, as well as staff from the Investigations Division and planned witnesses. The goal of the hearing is to fully investigate why the door stopper came loose and what technical or human errors may have contributed to it. The hearing will begin on August 6 at 09:00 a.m. local time and end at 19:15 p.m. It will continue on August 7 from 09:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. The public will have the opportunity to attend the hearing

Continue reading "