AAV News in Brief 29 November 2021

Stratos delivers A330NEO to Corsair: Stratos announced the delivery of the first of two A330-900s on long-term operating lease to Corsair (France) which will be operated from various airports in France to the Indian Ocean. Stratos remarketed the aircraft (MSN 1992) and has now added it to its growing managed portfolio on behalf of a private investor. Brian Jeffery, Chief Commercial Officer of Stratos said “Placing widebodies in this COVID environment is a huge challenge so we are extremely happy to have concluded this delivery – the result of many months of hard work. We are delighted to welcome Corsair to our growing list of airline clients.” Stratos is an aircraft investment specialist and asset manager with a portfolio of leased aircraft, providing acquisition, re-marketing, advisory and capital raising services to airlines, lenders and investors in large commercial aircraft. With a team of 25 people based in Europe, Asia and the America’s, Stratos manages a fleet of over 50 large commercial jet aircraft. New B737 MAX FFS ready for training at BAA Training Spain: The new B737 MAX full flight simulator (FFS) is now ready for training at BAA Training Spain, near Barcelona-El Prat Airport. The simulator manufactured by L3Harris Technologies guarantees high fidelity pilot training experience while maintaining high degrees of reliability and maintainability. Managing Director at BAA Training Spain, Aurimas Urbonas, said, “At BAA Training Spain, we continue delivering quality and accommodating the demand of commercial airlines and aviation professionals. Incorporating the B737 MAX full flight simulator is yet another step to offer better variety and convenience to our customers. Compared to more than 200 B737NG simulators globally, approximately three dozen B737 MAX FFSs are a limited number, so we are pleased to be one of a few pilot training providers able to offer this kind of simulator training.” Aviator continues to develop partnership with Sunclass Airlines: Aviator Airport Alliance, a full-range provider of aviation services at 15 airports across the Nordics, has extended its partnership with Sunclass Airlines for de-icing services. Under the renewed contract, Aviator will provide Sunclass Airlines with de-icing services at Stockholm-Arlanda, Malmo and Gothenburg Airports for a 3-year-long period. The contract extends the scope of Aviator-provided services for the airline as the company has been already providing Sunclass Airlines with high-quality ground handling services. Additionally, the partners have renewed a previous contract for de-icing services at Copenhagen Airport. Sunclass Airlines is a Danish charter airline – part of Nordic Leisure Travel Group (NLTG). NLTG is the leading leisure travel company in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and second in Finland. NLTG provides convenient customer-focused charter services through the well-known brands Ving, Spies and Tjäreborg. Embraer, Netherlands Aerospace Centre sign MoU: Embraer and the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (Royal NLR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a potential strategic collaboration relating to aerospace research. The research areas include technology development and innovation in defence and space systems, general aviation, MRO, air mobility, and sustainability. The MoU also brings together the possibility to extend and increase long-term relations between Embraer and Royal NLR during the design and development of Embraer products, such as the E-Jets family and recent E2 models, the legacy family of executive jets and the KC-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft, and programmes. In this context, the two companies are already discussing potential opportunities related to automated maintenance procedures. In the last two decades, Embraer and Royal NLR have been working in close collaboration in research and development in such areas as new materials, flight-deck technology, system development, and aerodynamics applied in the company’s leading-edge products including wind tunnel tests and advanced aero-elastic wind tunnel models. Embraer and Royal NLR are both members of The Netherlands Aerospace Group (NAG). This MoU is a further development of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Embraer and NAG in September 2021 to discuss potential strategic relationships in the fields of aviation and sustainability. RED Aircraft flies A03 engine: RED Aircraft, in collaboration with A&C Ag Aviation, has successfully flown the upgraded Air Tractor 301, fitted with the RED A03 engine. The flight took place at 4.04 pm in Unadilla, Georgia, USA piloted by Stephen Bereza. The flight represents a significant milestone for RED aircraft and for the agricultural aviation sector as a whole. The completion of the project and the subsequent successful flight are due to months of preparation and planning. The flight has showcased many of the great benefits provided by this green and highly efficient engine. The aircraft will be available to view at the National Agricultural Aviation Association Expo from 6-9 December. The cowling section of the AT-301 was purposefully redesigned to accommodate the RED A03 engine and provide a more aerodynamic shape. To avoid a significant weight increase, the cowling was manufactured from lightweight carbon fibre and is custom built to include cooling, sufficient air intake, and service access points. The RED A03 engine has been approved by the United States Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) the Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport (FATA) and Type approval by New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority. MENA Cargo partners with Awery Aviation: MENA Cargo has partnered with Awery Aviation Software to streamline operations across its scheduled and charter services. The Bahrain-headquartered air cargo airline will use Awery’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) product, as well as its CargoBooking tool. Awery ERP is a web-based, customisable platform, which MENA Cargo will initially use for flight and crew operations and charter sales management. The CargoBooking tool delivers instant quotes, manages bookings, and has full Application Programming Interface (API) integration. “We are confident that this is just the beginning of a really strong and successful partnership with MENA Cargo, and we are grateful for the opportunity,” said Vitaly Smilianets, founder and CEO, Awery Aviation Software. MENA Cargo provides scheduled as well as charter air cargo services across underserved markets in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Air Astana resumes flights to New Delhi: Air Astana will resume flights from Almaty to New Delhi, the capital of India, on 16 December, with three services a week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. Departure from Almaty on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays is scheduled for 07:50 and arrival in New Delhi at 11:10, with return flight at 12:20 and arrival in Almaty at 16:40. All times local, with a flight time of 3 hours and 50 minutes in each direction. Return fare start from US$544 in economy and US$1050 in business class, including airport, fuel and other charges. All passengers travelling to New Delhi including children need to fill in online form at www.newdelhiairport.in. Passengers over five years of age additionally need to upload results of PCR test with a negative result obtained within 72 hours before arrival. Prior to boarding on departure and again after arrival, passengers will undergo a thermometric test procedure. In the case of any symptoms of coronavirus being detected, passengers will be sent to a medical facility. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated passengers are required to take a COVID-19 test on arrival and repeat it at the end of a seven-day home quarantine period. Fully vaccinated passengers are exempted from PCR test on arrival and from home quarantine. Qantas offers green credentials: Qantas Frequent Flyers who make sustainable choices at home and when they travel will be rewarded under a new Green membership tier to roll out early next year. The Green tier will sit alongside existing flying tiers, and is designed to educate, encourage and reward the airline’s 13 million frequent flyers for everything from offsetting their flights, staying in eco-hotels, walking to work and installing solar panels at home. Members will need to complete at least five sustainable activities across six areas – flying, travel, lifestyle, sustainable purchases, reducing impact and giving back – each year to achieve Green tier status. Once achieved, members will be rewarded with benefits like bonus Qantas Points or status credits. These benefits will be in addition to the rewards they get under their existing flying status or as part of Points Club. The initiative has been driven by feedback from frequent flyers, with research showing almost two-thirds want to be more aware of their impact on the environment and would like support in their efforts to be more sustainable. BAC shines at AIPM Project Management Achievement Awards: Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) has taken out four awards at the Queensland Chapter of the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) Project Management Achievement Awards (PMAAs) 2021. Now in its 21st year, the PMAAs celebrate project management excellence across 13 categories for both organisations and individuals, with the Queensland Chapter presenting its awards during a virtual event. BAC’s Andre Cortez was named Project Professional of the Year for his work as Project Manager across a range of different projects at Brisbane Airport including the Domestic Terminal Skylight Replacement, and Paul Coughlan was named Senior Project Professional of the Year for his role as Project Director of Brisbane’s new runway. BAC CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said the awards are an incredible testament to the depth of talent and expertise at BAC. “I am a firm believer that airports are never finished – there is always work to be done and improvements to be make – and it is people like Andre and Paul who steer the ship in delivering world-class infrastructure at Brisbane Airport,” de Graaff said. Emirates signs code share with airBaltic: Emirates has signed a codeshare agreement with airBaltic to offer customers enhanced connectivity to/from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Finland. The codeshare partnership will open new travel opportunities and offer Emirates’ customers convenient access to the Baltic Sea region. airBalitc customers’ will also benefit from seamless access to Emirates’ extensive network, via Dubai. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ chief commercial officer, said: “We’re very pleased to announce a new partnership with airBaltic, the leading airline in the Baltics, which enables us to offer Emirates customers even more travel choices and connectivity in the Baltic region. It will also open up Emirates’ exciting network of global destinations to more travellers from the Baltics. We look forward to the start of a successful partnership.” The codeshare agreement will offer customers from key markets across the Middle East, West Asia, Far East and Australia, greater access and connectivity to the Baltic States. Nomad Technics signs contract with Rockwell Collins: Nomad Technics has recently signed a contract with Rockwell Collins to operate as factory authorised Business and Regional Systems (BRS) dealer. This agreement gives Nomad Technics full access to the U.S. company’s product range, which consists of a broad range of avionics equipment and cabin systems for just about every type of business and commercial aircraft currently in operation. Nomad Technics AG will provide sales, marketing and after sales support to its customers who use Rockwell Collins avionics and cabin systems. This includes products such as the Venue IFE system with high-speed internet browsing capabilities, Tailwind Live TV, as well as future mandated avionics requirements such as FANS 1/A upgrades. “We welcome the opportunity to further increase our service level by offering our clients comprehensive maintenance and modification solutions through the Rockwell Collins BRS authorised dealership,” says Thomas Gierlich, director sales of Nomad Technics. “Nomad Technics’ extensive industry experience, wide manufacturer network and knowledge of business aviation operations, paired with Rockwell Collins’s innovative communication and aviation electronics solutions, will be of considerable benefit to both companies and customers alike,” added Heinz Köhli, Executive Chairman of the Nomad Aviation group of companies. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]