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News from July 2024
U.S. aerospace supplier Harlow Aerostructures is set to sign a letter of intent to commence production on two new aerospace-related contracts with Turkish Aerospace at the Farnborough Airshow this week.
Alaska Airlines is surveying some of its lounge members about potential changes under consideration. The airline is evaluating whether to raise the price for lounge membership and what additional amenities customers might desire if such an increase occurs.
As the newest member of NATO and facing the unstable military menace posed by Vladimir Putin's Russia, Sweden has already begun its search for its future airpower. For a while, the nation appeared eager to partner in the UK/Italian/Japanese Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), but Sweden has elected not to join.
GE Aerospace Boosts Global MRO Capacity
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which oversees the Department of Transportation (DOT) and drafted the FAA Reauthorization Act language that created new slots at Washington’s National Airport, has made her recommendations clear. She not only authored the law but also provided explicit guidance on who should receive these new slots.
Rolls-Royce is set to introduce an upgraded version of its Trent XWB-84 turbofan, which it anticipates will deliver a 1% improvement in fuel burn efficiency for the Airbus A350-900 airliner. The company aims to achieve certification later this year for the first production example of the modified engine currently undergoing assembly.
Mammoth Freighters' Boeing 777-200LR passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion program has reached significant milestones, including the commencement of its first 777-200LR conversion (MSN 32222) at the STS Aviation Services facility in Manchester, UK.
Boeing has revised its 20-year demand forecast for commercial jets, now predicting that airlines will require 43,975 new airplanes over the next two decades. This updated projection, released ahead of the Farnborough Airshow, marks an increase of 1,375 aircraft from its previous forecast. The U.S. airframer attributes this adjustment to the faster-than-expected recovery of air travel following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a top priority for major aircraft engine manufacturers. However, the air transport industry also faces the challenge of mitigating environmental damage from other engine emissions, including contrails formed by water vapor, nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, soot, unburned hydrocarbons, aerosols, and traces of hydroxyl compounds.
Boeing, one of the world’s leading aerospace companies, has forecast the need for 44,000 new aircraft over the next 20 years as air travel surpasses pre-pandemic levels.
Southwest Airlines is facing a lawsuit for allegedly failing to protect a minor from an inflight sexual assault. The incident raises questions about the extent of an airline's responsibility for the behavior of its passengers.
RTX business Pratt & Whitney and SR Technics have announced the induction of the first Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine at the MRO service provider's Zurich facility. The facility will provide full disassembly, assembly, and test capability for the PW1100G engine for the Airbus A320neo family.
Germany's Bundeswehr has decided to acquire over 3,200 MBDA Brimstone 3 precision strike missiles to equip its Eurofighter Typhoon fleet. To meet this demand and support the weapon in service, a final assembly line and service center will be established at Schrobenhausen in Bavaria. This facility is strategically located near the Luftwaffe’s Eurofighter base at Neuburg and the major test and maintenance center at Manching. Currently, all Brimstones are assembled in the UK.
With Brazil's first air force squadron gaining initial operating experience and Sweden preparing to introduce the Saab JAS 39E/Gripen E fighter next year, the program is moving closer to full-service entry.
A recent social media post has gone viral after a woman received an unsettling message while waiting for her flight. The user, identified as @kir.a.lo, shared the incident on her account with the caption: “Why are men? #creeper #creepy #greenscreen #ichoosethebear,” accompanied by the sound “original sound – kirsten.” The message read, "I saw your number on your luggage tag."
BAE Systems and the UK Ministry of Defence plan to conduct inflight trials of the Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) developed by U.S. company Red 6. The tests will use a Hawk T.Mk 2, the RAF’s current advanced trainer. Demonstration flights with ATARS are scheduled to begin later this year, allowing the RAF to evaluate augmented reality (AR) in future aircrew training.
A Marriott Ambassador member, who spends over 100 nights and $23,000 annually with the hotel chain, reported an unsettling incident upon returning to their room. The guest found a housekeeping cart in front of their door and the housekeeper inside the bathroom. When asked to wait outside until she was done, the guest insisted on entering to store food in the refrigerator.
Cardless, a company founded in 2019 by Stanford graduates Michael Spelfogel and Scott Kazmierowicz, assists international airlines in launching and scaling credit cards in the United States. The company partners with First Electronic Bank for card issuance and management, offering airlines speed to market, direct integration into airline ecosystems, and unique underwriting methods.
During a demonstration flight in the Skyryse flight simulator, it became evident that this is how a helicopter ought to fly. The system simplifies control with just one stick, eliminating the need for managing multiple controls like collective, cyclic, and pedals. Skyryse’s SkyOS flight control and operating system aims to make flying easier while retaining the full performance of traditional helicopters.
Air navigation service providers (ANSPs) worldwide continue to face challenges in recruiting, training, and retaining air traffic controllers. Staffing levels have not recovered from the layoffs and retirements during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the United States alone, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) needs to fill approximately 3,000 vacancies, reflecting a situation similar to the pilot shortage.