AAV News in Brief 11 Sept 2025

Air Côte d’Ivoire takes delivery of its first A330neo: Air Côte d’Ivoire, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, has taken delivery of its first of two Airbus A330-900 aircraft. The A330neo is the first widebody aircraft in Air Cote d’Ivoire’s fleet and is configured in a four-class cabin layout with four seats in First, 44 in Business, 21 in Premium Economy and 173 in Economy class. The A330-900 fleet will play a key role in Air Côte d’Ivoire’s expansion plans to Europe, starting with the French Capital, Paris, then to destinations in the Middle East and North America. Air Côte d’Ivoire’s first A330neo delivery flight from Toulouse to Abidjan transported five tonnes of humanitarian goods, including materials and school supplies. This marked the airline’s third goodwill flight, coordinated with the Airbus Foundation and supported by Aviation Sans Frontières, who provided the donations. The goods were distributed to two local NGOs, LifeShine and la Bienfaisance, to directly support their initiatives within the health and education sectors in Abidjan. Pegasus Airlines creates sustainability linked loan structure: Pegasus Airlines announced that with the support of SMBC Group acting as Sustainability Coordinator and Original Lender, Pegasus has successfully converted three Japanese Operating Lease with Call Options (JOLCO) transactions into a Sustainability-Linked Loan (SLL) structure. This innovative financing incorporates environmental and social Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across both the loan and equity components and supports the delivery of three Airbus A321neo aircraft, further strengthening Pegasus’ position as one of the world’s youngest fleets with over 100 aircraft. To facilitate the SLL conversion in line with market best practices, Pegasus implemented its inaugural Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework (Framework), developed with support from SMBC Group as sole Sustainability Advisor in early 2025. The Framework features Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) focused on carbon intensity and gender diversity, each paired with ambitious Sustainability Performance Targets (SPTs). These KPIs and respective targets received “Strong” ratings from S&P Global’s Second-Party Opinion, which highlighted their relevance and materiality to the sustainability challenges faced by the aviation industry. The financing terms of the JOLCOs are tied to our sustainability performance against the KPIs. Thompson launches brand elevation campaign: Thompson Aero Seating has launced a brand elevation campaign that celebrates its people and highlights the warmth, passion and collaboration of the Thompson Aero Seating (TAS) team. Keith Anderson, CEO of Thompson Aero Seating, comments: “Our people are at the heart of our brand. That’s why we are evolving our visual identity to feature the real faces, smiles and heartbeat of Thompson – the individuals who make our company what it is.” The brand campaign brings together the people and strengths of Thompson with the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Northern Ireland. The new visuals combine futuristic patterns that represent Thompson’s engineering expertise and innovation with imagery inspired by the country’s wind-swept earthiness and deep-rooted history – a reflection of Thompson’s craftmanship and integrity. As part of the campaign, Thompson is refreshing its marketing collateral, including introducing new advertisements and updating the website. New visuals across the manufacturing sites will enhance the visitor experience and employee pride. 5X5 launches new aviation insurance plan: 5X5 Aviation Insurance has launched its pilot-fuelled, data-driven and direct-to-customer coverage to aircraft owners and pilots. “By providing underwriting services directly to customers, we are able to make decisions immediately and provide customers choices on the coverage that best meets their needs,” says CEO and Founder Troy Kopischke, who saw the need for something better during flight training. “No more one size fits all. No more arbitrary age cutoffs. No inability to transition.” The plan offers a direct-to-consumer option in the high-end, owner-flown market, with five states approved and effective for full coverage underwriting. The launch group of Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois and Virginia will ultimately be joined by all 48 contiguous states, as regulatory approval is secured. 5X5 will update customers on its website for state-by-state coverage availability as it rolls out. Embross unveils Evolution self-service platform: Embross, a global provider of passenger self-service and airport technology, marks its 10-year anniversary with the North American launch of its Evolution product line, signifying a major step forward in airport and passenger automation. The Evolution Series reimagines self-service with a modular, compact, and multi-functional platform designed for check-in, tagging, e-gates, lounge access, and biometric boarding. The offering of different models provides airports and airlines with a flexible product family tailored to different stages of the passenger journey. EVO-1 provides a full-service platform for check-in and tagging, while EVO-Mini delivers the same capability in a compact footprint for space-constrained areas. EVO-Gate supports fast, secure biometric-enabled boarding and lounge access. Together, the series reduces operational costs, accelerates deployment, and enhances the passenger experience through faster processing, leading to shorter journeys. The solution incorporates smart technology and functionality such as modular construction, biometric readiness, and integrated analytics. These features reduce costs and extend hardware lifespan by making systems easier to maintain, faster to produce, and more adaptable to future upgrades. By maximising resource efficiency and reducing the need for premature replacements, they also help lower the overall environmental footprint, ensuring long-term value for operators. Neo Space Group to acquire Display Interactive: Neo Space Group (NSG), a PIF company and Saudi Arabia’s leading commercial space services provider, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Display Interactive (DI), a recognised innovator in wireless in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC). The acquisition will strengthen NSG’s position in the aviation market as a premier provider of integrated, multi-orbit solutions, underpinned by intelligent bandwidth management and truly global coverage. By combining cutting-edge satellite and digital technologies, NSG will deliver faster, more reliable inflight connectivity (IFC) – enhancing passenger experiences while enabling airlines to optimize operations and unlock new service opportunities. NSG and DI began collaborating on product development in 2023. Building on this foundation, the partnership was further strengthened in May 2024 when DI introduced the Skywaves® satellite connectivity system in cooperation with NSG. The acquisition will mark the next stage in this collaboration, accelerating the evolution of IFC. By integrating DI’s advanced technology and product portfolio, NSG is delivering a fully unified IFC solution – combining intelligent traffic management through Skywaves® with a seamless digital passenger experience via its SkyFly end-user portal. Supported by the SES Open Orbits network, NSG’s system intelligently routes traffic across multiple satellite providers, ensuring uninterrupted, high-speed connectivity for airlines and passengers worldwide. This end-to-end approach simplifies IFC deployment for airlines, providing a faster and more efficient path to next-generation connectivity. Additionally, NSG collaborates with leading aerospace partners to enable smooth integration across airline fleets, making advanced IFC more accessible than ever. Clean Aviation taps ATR for low-emission regional flight: ATR has been selected by the European Union’s Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (Clean Aviation) to lead two initiatives set to redefine the future of low-emission regional aviation. As part of Clean Aviation’s Ultra-Efficient Regional Aircraft (UERA) thrust, ATR will spearhead two ambitious development projects aimed at demonstrating the integration of hybrid-electric propulsion, advanced propeller systems and electrified aircraft systems on a regional aircraft. By 2030, ATR will achieve a world first: flying a hybrid-electric regional aircraft using an ATR 72-600 test bed. This breakthrough will be made possible through several projects, two of which will be led by ATR, with the support of the European Union, and in collaboration with international industry and research organisations, including Safran and RTX businesses Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney Canada. ATR’s flagship project, HERACLES, (Hybrid-Electric Regional Aircraft Concept for Low EmissionS), will define an ultra-efficient regional aircraft concept integrating hybrid-electric propulsion, high-performance batteries, and a thermal engine compatible with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel. These technologies will be flight-tested through DEMETRA (Demonstrator of an Electrified Modern Efficient Transport Regional Aircraft), using an ATR 72-600 flying test bed. Startical achieves first space transmission of VHF comms: Startical has reached milestone for aviation. The company, jointly created by ENAIRE and Indra, has successfully transmitted, for the first time worldwide, data between an aircraft and an air traffic controller using VHF communications sent from space in real time. This breakthrough follows the achievement reached in May, when the first-ever real-time voice communication between a pilot and an air traffic controller using VHF signals transmitted via satellite was completed. With these two pioneering accomplishments — voice and data — Startical establishes itself as the first company capable of offering VHF voice and data communications from space, a decisive step toward ensuring continuous coverage over oceanic and remote areas and optimizing the future of air traffic management. During a functional test carried out within the framework of the European ECHOES project over the Atlantic Ocean, an Air Europa aircraft established a data link with the Gran Canaria control center, performing the first pilot-controller datalink via satellite using standard procedures. This success provides practical evidence of how satellite-based data communications can optimise daily air traffic operations, by providing coverage on oceanic areas where conventional VHF radio systems have insufficient range. In addition to Air Europa, airlines such as Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, Plus Ultra, and Vueling, among others, are also participating in the functional voice and data tests. Silk Way West Airlines secures ISO 14001 certification: Silk Way West Airlines has been awarded the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) certification by the British Standards Institution (BSI), marking a key milestone in the airline’s journey toward greater environmental responsibility. The internationally recognised certification confirms the airline’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact through improved resource efficiency, pollution control, and climate-conscious operations. The implementation of ISO 14001 strengthens Silk Way West Airlines’ ability to meet regulatory standards, drive operational efficiency, and embed a culture of sustainability across the organisation. Building on this success, the airline plans to deepen its environmental strategy by launching internal sustainability programs, providing staff training, and pursuing further certifications such as ISO 50001 for energy management, as well as participating in global reporting frameworks such as the GRI. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]