ZeroAvia to build manufacturing hub in Scotland: ZeroAvia announced that it will build a manufacturing facility for production of its hydrogen-electric powertrains at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland, close to Glasgow Airport in Renfrewshire. ZeroAvia’s Hydrogen Centre of Excellence will support the company in a range of manufacturing operations relating to powertrain production and testing and will also be the company’s primary location for production of advanced high temperature PEM (HTPEM) fuel cell stacks and supporting systems. The new facility will complement ZeroAvia’s Propulsion Centre of Excellence in Washington State which is focusing primarily on electric motors and power electronics. The company also has plans to expand its R&D and aircraft testing centre at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire. The project in Scotland has been made possible by a £9 million Regional Selective Assistance grant from Scottish Enterprise. This follows an equity investment of £20 million from the Scottish National Investment Bank into ZeroAvia as part of the company’s Series C funding, with the UK National Wealth Fund investing £32 million as a cornerstone-level investor in the round. The Series C round was led by Airbus, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital and NEOM Investment Fund.
SSP debuts in Lithuania with Upper Crust at Vilnius Airport: SSP has opened a new Upper Crust as the first step of a major development project at Vilnius Airport. Located in the airport’s new Terminal 4, the bakery is the first of six outlets scheduled to open by the end of 2026. The move marks SSP’s debut in Lithuania and a significant expansion of its business in the Baltics, building on the company’s success in Tallinn, where it has operated since 1998. It also leverages the company’s considerable strengths in the wider Nordics region, where SSP has been a major player in airport food and beverage since the 1960s. Located in a busy area close to the gates with an expansive view across the apron, the bakery offers an exceptional selection of grab and go products – ideally suited to this ‘last call’ location. It is the first brand at the airport to feature classic baguettes on its menu, a novelty for Vilnius passengers, and brings additional choice to travellers. It will offer a range tailored to the needs of local customer tastes, while retaining the key features that have made the Upper Crust brand a global success story. A pastry range has been crafted to meet local tastes in partnership with a number of local providers.
FSTC EUROPE expands training fleet with Tecnam aircraft: Tecnam and FSTC EUROPE announced the purchase of six Tecnam aircraft; four P-MENTOR and two P2006T NG twin-engine aircraft, as part of a total of 25 new training aircraft, to be progressively acquired by the end of 2027. Under a new name brand expected to be announced soon, FSTC EUROPE will be one of the leading European P-MENTOR fleet operators. The aircraft will be used for training towards a Private Pilot Licence (PPL), as well as for advanced commercial pilot training such as a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), Instrument Rating (IR) and Multi-Engine Rating (MEP). FSTC EUROPE plans to enrol more than 200 cadets per year by the end of 2028. The latest version of the P2006T, the P2006T NG (Next Generation), is one of the smartest twin-engine aircraft on the market. It offers unbeatable value and an innovative design, integrating all primary flight, navigation, communication and terrain data on two high-definition LCDs via a modern Garmin avionics suite. The aircraft is also equipped with a two-axis autopilot for highly efficient MEP complex training. Tecnam also announced the appointment of KRISTAL.aero as its exclusive dealer for France, marking a significant step forward in the company’s strategic development across Europe. This partnership reinforces Tecnam’s presence in the French market, leveraging KRISTAL.aero’s deep industry expertise and customer-focused aviation ecosystem.
ExecuJet Belgium completes its first heavy check on Falcon 7X: ExecuJet MRO Services Belgium, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, has completed a ‘C-check’ on a Falcon 7X, its first heavy maintenance check on this aircraft type. The work was carried out at the MRO company’s heavy maintenance centre at Belgium’s Kortrijk-Wevelgem International Airport, coincidentally the same airport where the customer bases the aircraft. “We also did the pre-delivery inspection on this aircraft,” says Matthijs Hutsebaut, Regional Vice President for Europe at ExecuJet MRO Services,” adding that the customer is one of the MRO company’s long-standing clients. ExecuJet MRO Services is a Dassault factory-owned MRO organisation that is certified to do heavy maintenance on Falcon 7X, Falcon 8X as well as different variants of the Falcon 2000 and Falcon 900.
Swiipr launches new APIs: Payment platform Swiipr has launched a series of new APIs that enable airlines to digitally transform their disruption and compensation payment operations in as little as a few weeks, irrespective of the airline’s legacy systems. Over 500 million global passengers are estimated to be affected by flight disruption each year, costing airlines billions of dollars in payouts as well as significant customer dissatisfaction. Swiipr’s payment technology allows airlines to digitise disruption payments, greatly enhancing the passenger experience and driving cost efficiency by up to 60 percent. Swiipr’s new APIs reduce much of the complexity airlines have traditionally faced in digitising their compensation payments, including transitioning from bank transfers, cash, or paper vouchers to virtual cards. The new APIs enable any airline to directly integrate Swiipr’s platform with their existing IT infrastructure, even if running legacy systems. The “out of the box” API is fully customisable to meet each airline’s bespoke needs. “Legacy passenger compensation payments systems simply aren’t fit for use. Passengers and airlines alike are crying out for a tech-driven solution that meets their needs and reduces disruption, cost and stress,” said Swiipr co-founder and CEO Tara Spielhagen.
Barfield and Parrot sign distribution agreement: Barfield Inc., a subsidiary of Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) in the Americas, continues to expand its participation in the UAV industry by signing a partnership agreement with Parrot, one of the world-leading design and manufacturing drone company’s. This agreement is another milestone in the development of Barfield’s UAV growth strategy. “We are excited to be partnering with Parrot. They bring state-of-the-art solutions to the market with a high focus on technology, reliability, resilience and customer satisfaction. This is exactly what Barfield strives to deliver to the MRO and UAV industries,” says Gilles Mercier, Chief Executive Officer at Barfield Inc. “Barfield’s expertise in the Aerospace Supply Chain with its customer focus strategy to deliver exceptional products and services is a perfect fit to support Parrot’s new generation of micro-drones in the USA, where Parrot has the latest and unique technology for defence, federal agencies, law enforcement & enterprise. This is an important step forward in strengthening our US distribution and support development strategy,” declared Chris Roberts Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at Parrot Group Global.
IATA CO2 Connect integrated into Amadeus platform: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Amadeus are integrating flight-specific emissions data from IATA CO2 Connect in the Amadeus Travel Platform. This will allow airlines, travel agents, corporate travel managers, and online platforms that request IATA CO2 Connect data to provide travellers with a new source of trusted emissions data at the point of booking. IATA CO2 Connect uses real operational data, such as aircraft type-specific fuel consumption, directly contributed by over 70 airlines and calculated using a globally standardized methodology. “Our agreement with Amadeus will help fulfil traveller expectations for greater transparency as airlines progress towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050. IATA surveys reveal that close to 90% of passengers expect airlines or travel agents to provide carbon emission data for flights they have booked. Yet, 79% highlight that the carbon calculations provided are not always consistent. Making IATA CO2 Connect data available through the Amadeus platform will help users make more informed travel decisions using accurate emissions data,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
SmartLynx transitions to FLIGHTKEYS 5D: SmartLynx Airlines is taking another step in advancing and digitalising its operations by transitioning to FLIGHTKEYS for more efficient and optimised flight schedule planning. Following a year-long planning and preparation process, FLIGHTKEYS 5D was successfully moved into production on May 20. The newly implemented FLIGHTKEYS 5D software brings a high level of automation to the flight planning processes, including automatic generation of the Operational Flight Plan (OFP). This allows SmartLynx’s Flight Dispatch team to shift their focus from routine tasks to solving more complex operational challenges. The system’s speed and responsiveness make it particularly well-suited to the fast-paced nature of ACMI operations. Over the past decade, SmartLynx has invested in the digitalisation and modernisation of its operations – from the launch of the Paperless Cockpit initiative in 2015, to last year’s implementation of eCabinLog8, and the consolidation of Operations Manuals – Part A (OM-A) across all three AOCs to simplify regulatory procedures. The transition to FLIGHTKEYS is a natural next step in this journey, supporting SmartLynx’s long-term growth strategy and commitment to achieving the highest levels of efficiency and operational safety.
Dnata secures multi-year Aer Lingus catering contract in Nashville: Dnata has signed a multi-year contract with Aer Lingus at Nashville International Airport (BNA) in the USA. The new partnership will see dnata provide its quality inflight catering services for the Irish flag carrier’s four weekly flights to Dublin Airport (DUB), uplifting nearly 40,000 meals annually. Peter DeVito, Chief Executive Officer, dnata Catering North America, said: “We’re pleased to support Air Lingus as they expand their transatlantic network. From freshly prepared meals to flawless delivery, our team is focused on getting every detail right. We’re here to make sure their passengers enjoy best-in-class dining experience on every flight.” Dnata also announced it has expanded its inflight retail partnership with easyJet to include Milan Linate (LIN) and Rome Fiumicino (FCO) airports in Italy. Under the new agreement, dnata’s specialist teams will deliver last-mile logistics, packing and uplifting easyJet’s range of onboard retail products -including food and beverage items- alongside around 40,000 crew meals annually. The services will support easyJet’s expanded operations at its two new Italian bases and enhance the inflight experience for passengers. Dnata has managed easyJet’s inflight retail programme across its European network since 2022, providing a fully integrated solution that covers retail strategy, product development and sourcing, end-to-end logistics, marketing, crew support and financial management.
IBS Software wins Air France-KLM Group deal: IBS Software announced that it has been selected by Air France-KLM as a strategic partner to streamline flight operations through a unified digital platform. By integrating IBS Software’s iFlight solution, the airlines of the Group aim to reduce operational costs, eliminate inefficiencies, and minimise delays across a fleet of over 500 aircraft. For Air France-KLM, the implementation of iFlight will unlock effective centralised decision making, by harnessing greater visibility over the operation system. With a core single platform, silos across different databases will be removed, allowing for easier data exchange and data standardisation. This move to a digital-first operations approach will allow for improved resource allocation to mitigate and reduce the impact of uncontrollable operational disruptions, enhancing the passenger experience. Commenting on the partnership, Pierre-Olivier Bandet, EVP Information Systems at Air France-KLM, said, “After a successful deployment at Transavia Netherlands, we are confident that IBS Software’s iFlight solution will help us address critical points in our operations, build efficiencies, standardise and improve the experience of our staff and customers. We look forward to implementing operational innovation alongside a digitally transformative partner like IBS Software.”
Sagetech Avionics and MatrixSpace collaborate on detect and avoid solutions: Sagetech Avionics has selected AI sensing system innovator MatrixSpace to support its advanced airspace solutions. Sagetech Avionics empowers safe flight in crewed and uncrewed aircraft with certifiable situational awareness solutions, serving military, public and commercial organisations. MatrixSpace and Sagetech Avionics recently partnered to win an HSWERX award from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for their work on advanced air detection supporting uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) operations. The solution has potential applications across a variety of mission environments, including the DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency. Rudy Johnson, Director Business Development at Sagetech Avionics, said “Our mission is to deliver low-SWaP certified avionics solutions that enable safe, scalable airspace integration. To achieve this requires a sophisticated level of airspace awareness informed by high-performance sensors. MatrixSpace is meeting the challenge, setting new standards in precision detection, making them key to meeting our customers’ demanding requirements.”
GAMA welcomes new members: The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced the additions of Robinson Helicopter Company and DeltaHawk Engines as Members and Whisper Aero as an Associate Member EPIC. Robinson Helicopter Company, founded in 1973, is headquartered in Torrance, California. DeltaHawk Engines is headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin, and was founded in 1996. They have developed FAA-Certified jet-fueled piston engines, with higher power models in development. Whisper Aero, headquartered in Crossville, Tennessee, is pioneering a more compelling and connected future by delivering cleaner, quieter, and more efficient propulsion solutions.
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