AAV News in Brief 26 July 2021

CPaT signs deal with Emerald Airlines: CPaT Global announced it has been awarded a new contract by Emerald Airlines for initial and recurrent training for the ATR-600. CPaT will be providing Aircraft Systems courses, CPaT’s General Subjects library, Interactive Diagrams, as well as Invent Content Design software. “We are thrilled to be providing Ireland’s newest regional airline, Emerald Airlines, with their distance learning package,” said Capt. Greg Darrow, CPaT’s vice president of sales. “The excitement around Emerald’s launch in the European market is very high, and we’re just happy to come alongside that and support them as they take off.” Based out of Dublin, Emerald Airlines is Ireland’s newest regional airline. Offering a range of solutions including Franchise, ACMI and Private Charter flying, Emerald Airlines’ dedicated team of technical experts and industry specialists will provide customers with the fleet solutions to meet specific needs. The management team is made up of highly experienced aviation professionals with extensive worldwide aviation experience. ACA changes venue, date for Air Charter Excellence Awards 2021: The Air Charter Association (The ACA) is announcing an important update for its annual Air Charter Excellence Awards, with a new date and change to the planned venue. The venue originally confirmed for the event has been selected by the UK Government as one of the dedicated Covid quarantine hotels and is therefore unable to host the event this year. The Air Charter Excellence Awards will now take place a week earlier than planned, on Thursday 14 October and will be held in the Oxford Suite at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, Brighton, the largest residential conference centre in the country. The venue offers excellent facilities and has many original Victorian features. It has a large capacity to cater for The ACA’s fast-growing membership with ample space to accommodate any social distancing requirements. AviaAM Leasing welcomes converted freighter: AviaAM Leasing, a global aviation holding company engaged in tailored aircraft leasing and trading services, has welcomed its first 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter to the fleet. The Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversion project was the first of its kind for the company. Having acquired the aircraft in March 2021, AviaAM Leasing used the opportunity to begin strengthening its position in the freighter aircraft market. With a commitment to having ten 737-800 Converted Freighters by mid-2022, the completed conversion on the company’s first Boeing 737-800 aircraft is a major step forward for the aircraft lessor. The 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) underwent the P2F conversion works at the Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Company Limited (STAECO) facility in Jinan (TNA), China. The converted freighter has already been ferried to Kaunas, Lithuania, where a C Check is being performed, with further aim of repainting the airframe into the future lessee’s paint scheme. Following final touch-ups the aircraft will be ready for a delivery in mid-August, 2021. AviaAM Leasing also reports that the second 737-800BCF has already begun undergoing P2F conversion work at GAMECO, Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, and after successful completion of the conversion process will be delivered to its ultimate tenant in the later stages of 2021. Airbus launches cloud-based pilot training service: Airbus has launched the Mobile Airbus Training experience (MATe) Suite, a subscription-based service platform with a 3D interactive virtual cockpit environment for pilot recurrent and initial Type Training. Airbus developed MATe with portability and compatibility in mind. Building on the success of the Airbus Cockpit Experience (ACE) Trainer, a virtual and interactive cockpit simulator used in Airbus training centres for Flight Crew Licensing courses, the MATe solution is enabled for any type of IT device. Pilots can therefore use the service to train whenever and wherever they want, with trainers able to monitor and follow their progress via the latest cloud technology. Currently available for the A320 Family, MATe champions Airbus’ flight “competency-based” philosophy and Flight Training Reference (AFTR) standard. The solution, which offers multiple benefits; better knowledge retention and significant time savings on higher level training devices and simulators, has been welcomed by airlines, with agreements already signed by several customers; in Europe – Air Malta – and India’s largest passenger airline -IndiGo. MATe Suite is available as a standard package with optional modules and services that can be customised according to airlines’ needs. The solution will be available for both the A330 and A350 by early 2022. FACC wins environmental awards: FACC has received the GreenTech Award 2020/2021 and also received eccos22 and ONR 192500 certification for its consistent CSR and sustainability strategy as well as the “Seal of Approval for Excellence in Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility” from the CSR Dialog Forum. FACC is the specialist for innovative lightweight components within the aerospace industry. The company’s customers include all renowned aircraft and engine manufacturers worldwide. For aircraft components, FACC relies on composites that are considerably lighter than metal, but are also tremendously resilient and robust. Lightweight construction, coupled with newly developed aerodynamic designs, makes a significant contribution to more efficient, quieter and “greener” flying. This reduces fuel consumption and minimizes CO2 emissions. Robert Machtlinger, CEO of FACC AG, said, “Global air traffic is currently responsible for 2.7 percent of worldwide CO2 emissions. Fifty years ago, this percentage was 5.4 and thus twice as high. Yet the number of flights has increased significantly during this period. The aircraft industry, however, is not resting on its laurels after these successes. We want to continue to improve together – and FACC is making a significant contribution to reaching this goal.” Tamarack adds ACI Jet to authorised service centres: Tamarack Aerospace Group announced the addition of ACI Jet of San Louis Obispo, California to its network of Tamarack Authorised Service Centre Partners. The Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) centres offer sales and service of the Tamarack Active Winglet System for the Citation Jet 525, 525A, and 525B series in all eight variants. This new authorised service centre joins 11 others in the United States, and seven in countries including Brazil, the Channel Islands, Sweden, Serbia, and The United Kingdom. In addition to the now 19 authorised service centres, Tamarack has two Transformation Centres in Aiken, South Carolina and Oxford, England, respectively. Headquartered on California’s Central Coast, ACI Jet is a recognised leader in private aviation services. In addition to nose-to-tail aircraft maintenance and avionics sales, installation and support, ACI Jet’s aviation ecosystem includes aircraft ground support services at its three full-service FBOs and aircraft management and charter services. RUAG signs partnership on lasers: RUAG is entering into a strategic partnership with the international company Virtek Vision International Inc., a market leader in laser positioning systems. The aim is to bundle the skills and expertise of both companies, in order to offer an even wider range of products and services. Composite Ply Design encompasses the three-dimensional construction of complex composite components. The 3D models form the basis for all data relevant to the manufacturing process, such as the ply book (design) and cutter and laser files. The laser file is used in the positioning of a ply (material cutting) on the form. With the help of the laser, the outer con-tours are projected on to the form. RUAG is a leader in the field of CPD engineering for complex composite components, and counts RUAG Space among its customers. As part of this, the company provides services for products like ESA launchers, small launchers and the American Atlas and Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle programmes. Embry-Riddle upgrades Frasca simulators: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach, Florida campus is upgrading nine of their Frasca-built Flight Training Devices (FTDs). The FTDs, configured for the Cessna 172 aircraft when they were first delivered in 2001, were certified Level 6 devices featuring cutting-edge technology, including wraparound visual systems and Garmin G1000 avionics. Upgrading of the Frasca-built FTDs will include a new fleet cockpit configuration with upgraded Garmin G1000 system to NXi; an upgraded Instructor Operator Station (Simplicity); a new control loading system; updated aerodynamic modelling; all new computers and electronics hardware; and continued Level 6 certification. Hong Kong Airlines selling off in-flight goods: Hong Kong Airlines is selling a range of obsolete in-flight goods like crockery, limited edition amenity kits, pillows and duvets as well as wine and other goods no longer in use. Aviation fans may also score a collectible or two as most items for sale are no longer in production and will bring on some nostalgia in years to come. Bespoke e-commerce platform, Epix Products, will be the sole channel for this exclusive sale. Items from Hong Kong Airlines will be put together in different bundles to offer a mix of inflight products to cater to everyone. For example, a half-size trolley will be fully packed with Business Class tableware, cutlery, locally designed amenity kits, blanket and pillow with cover plus 24 bottles of wine. A full-size trolley will include a greater quantity of the same items offered in the half-size trolley bundle with 36 bottles of wine. HK Express sets new services to Taipei and Kaohsiung: HK Express announced the launch of two new services this summer. As Hong Kong’s only low-cost carrier, customers will be able to fly direct from Hong Kong to Taipei and Kaohsiung with the airline from this August. Services to Taipei are set to launch on 23 August 2021, while flights to Kaohsiung will launch on 26 August 2021. “We are always looking for new ways to make travel more affordable and accessible. The two new services are the latest examples of our dedication to this mission,” said Mandy Ng, CEO of HK Express. “We will continue to offer more convenient and affordable travel experiences for our customers during this challenging time, and remain committed to put health and safety first. Our passengers can rest easy knowing they will have a safe, smooth and affordable journey with us.” HK Express currently flies to Taichung. With the latest additions, the airline will enable easy access to all three cities. Whether it be for family or business, the new links will make essential travel across the region faster, easier and more affordable. Customers travelling to Taipei and Kaohsiung are also reminded to comply with local entry requirements, which may include pre- and post-travel testing, quarantine and declaration forms. Aviator Airport Services signs FedEx deal: Aviator Airport Services, a full-range provider of aviation services at 15 airports across the Nordics and a family member of one the largest aerospace service groups Avia Solutions Group, extended a partnership agreement with delivery services company FedEx for ground handling services. With over 600 aircraft, FedEx is the world’s largest cargo airline, providing global delivery services for more than 50 years. Aviator and FedEx have been in a successful partnership for over 20 years. The current contract was renewed for a three-year period and will go into effect on 1 September. Aviator will provide FedEx with ground handling services, including de-icing at Malmö Airport in Sweden. Companies also have an ongoing cooperation contract at Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Experia wins awards for Singapore Airshow 2020: Experia Events has been awarded “Outstanding Business Event” for Singapore Airshow 2020 at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2021. Organised by Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the awards celebrate and recognise individuals and organisations in the tourism sector for delivering outstanding experiences, and demonstrating enterprise excellence. A key international trade event for the global aerospace and defence industries with high public visibility, Singapore Airshow 2020 took place during a wave of uncertainty in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst tightening travel restrictions and an increase in local COVID-19 cases, Singapore’s Ministry of Health raised the Singapore Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) to Orange just a week before the show. To ensure the safety of its attendees, Experia went above and beyond the authorities’ then-stipulated precautionary measures, and implemented additional measures such as seat-tagging to facilitate contact tracing, and a “no contact” policy that encouraged alternative business greetings instead of conventional handshakes. In spite of the challenging situation, over 90 percent of exhibitors from more than 45 countries who had signed up prior continued with their participation as planned. The event welcomed close to 30,000 trade visitors from more than 110 countries and over 20,000 public visitors. A survey conducted by Kadence International also revealed that Singapore Airshow 2020 contributed S$202 million to Singapore’s economy. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]