Mitsubishi Aircraft to open Montreal centre: Mitsubishi Aircraft said it plans to open a new foothold in North America with a new facility in Montreal, Canada. The company earlier opened a new headquarters for its SpaceJet family of aircraft earlier this year in Renton, Washington. “As a Japanese company with a global market, we are building a strong global presence in order to position the Mitsubishi SpaceJet family for success,” said Hisakazu Mizutani, president of Mitsubishi Aircraft. “We have great respect for the achievements and capabilities in Quebec and are excited to be here.” In its first year in the Montreal area, Mitsubishi Aircraft intends to create around 100 jobs focused on certification and entry into service of the Mitsubishi SpaceJet products. The company plans to increase that number in the following years. The office will be located in the Boisbriand area. “This is an exciting moment for the company,” said Jean-David Scott, vice president for the SpaceJet Montreal Centre, “I am proud to be a part of the team that is focused on the future of regional aviation and bringing opportunities to the region.”
Inmarsat goes live on AirAsia: Inmarsat said its GX Aviation inflight broadband service has entered commercial service with low-cost airline AirAsia, which is currently offering GX Aviation to passengers on-board a number of initial aircraft through its RedBeat Ventures subsidiary, ROKKI. The service integrates with the airline’s entertainment and e-commerce platform, allowing passengers to access a variety of free entertainment, music, games, news and shopping using their personal mobile devices. It will be rolled out across AirAsia’s Airbus A320 and A330 fleet over the next year.
Cobham extends freight agreement with Qantas: Cobham Aviation Services (CAvS) said it has extended its agreement with Qantas Freight for a further six years. The renewed agreement will commence on 1 July 2020 and will run until 30 June 2026 with the option for an additional 12-month extension. Cobham’s four specialised BAe146-300QT aircraft operate 2500 flights and carry 25,000 tonnes of freight each year as they shuttle between Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
BAA opens Vietnam training centre: BAA Training Vietnam said it was now officially open and ready for business after it received its Approved Training Organisation (ATO) status. The company also said its first Airbus A320 full flight simulator is assembled and approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam. “We are thrilled to officially start operations at BAA Training Vietnam. In 2018 we have started with the establishment of the company and today, using 20 years of experience in the field, we are ready to provide market with high quality aviation training preparing pilots to handle ready for unforeseen and unexpected situations,” said Egle Vaitkeviciute, CEO at BAA Training.
Avionica to Integrate GigSky’s eSIM into avCM Comm Module: Avionica announced that it will integrate its avCM Communications Module with GigSky’s Internet of Things (IoT) eSIM solution. The avCM has been deployed as the global communications unit for Avionica’s Quick Access Recorders (QARs) and aviONS (Onboard Network Server) to move data on and off an aircraft. The eSIM solution will be available to Avionica’s airline and business jet customers beginning in December. eSIM does not use a SIM card, so Avionica customers adopting eSIM will eliminate required maintenance to replace SIM cards within its equipment. The eSIM is universally configurable, ensuring that the aircraft will always be connected at competitive rates anywhere in the world. Using the GigSky toolset, Avionica actively monitors and manages connectivity to ensure that data is always delivered when and where required.
