AAV News in Brief 7 June 2021

Kansai international airport works commence: VINCI Airports and its partner ORIX, concession owners of Kansai international airport, have launched the modernisation works of the airport’s terminal 1, the largest works programme since the airport was opened in 1994. In line with Japan’s tourism strategy and economic development of the Kansai region, the works continue and accelerate the modernisation of the Kansai airports, initiated from the start of the concession in 2016. The goal is to create more capacity and improve the passenger experience without building a new terminal – an approach based on optimising existing spaces that fits with VINCI Airports’ environmental objectives. The works will involve enlarging and completely renovating the airport’s international passenger journey: security controls, boarding, departures, retail spaces and arrivals. The new journey will showcase the architecture of the building designed by Renzo Piano, while new technologies will optimise flows and enhance the passenger experience. Domestic passengers will also benefit from a new, more functional and compact space with a broader range of services and a vast retail offering available right up to the boarding point Wright International integrates FL Technics: Wright International has launched a new identity representing decades of worldwide aircraft repair, maintenance, and overhaul (MRO) experience. The updated brand and new website design are significant in highlighting the final stages in the process of the company’s integration as part of FL Technics, a global provider of MRO services and a family member of the Avia Solutions Group, the largest aviation and aerospace company in Central and Eastern Europe. In the latter stages of 2020, Canadian-based Wright International entered the global MRO market by joining forces as part of the highly renowned FL Technics company. During the integration process, Wright International was able to both maintain and extend its long-term commitments with existing partners while developing strategic decision-based solutions leading to sustainable integration as a part of the global group. Etihad resumes flights to Rabat and Phuket: On the back of quarantine-free travel to Morocco, and back into the emirate of Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways is restarting services to Rabat on 23 June 2021. As Phuket prepares to reopen to international vaccinated travellers, Etihad is recommencing services to the popular holiday destination on 1 July 2021. The Rabat service will operate with an initial twice weekly flight and Phuket will be three times a week, using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, offering Economy Space and Neighbour-free seating options. To simplify the travel experience and provide additional peace of mind, Etihad recently launched Verified to Fly, allowing guests to validate their Covid-19 travel documents before arriving at the airport. Travellers who use Verified to Fly can enjoy fast track check-in at the airport by going to the dedicated Verified to Fly desk for a quicker and smoother experience. To use the Verified to Fly service, guests can sign-up by visiting Manage my Booking and will receive further information on how to submit their documents. Beacon announces services deal with ABS Jets: Beacon announced that it has signed an agreement with ABS Jets, an executive operator and maintenance organisation from the Czech Republic. The agreement is focused on integrating Beacon as its dedicated maintenance coordination platform to accelerate return-to-service time. The operator ran the first maintenance case on April 1st and expects to run over 50 maintenance cases per year, reducing their out-of-service time by 20 percent. Developed by EmbraerX, Embraer’s market accelerator for disruptive businesses, Beacon is an innovative platform that connects operators, maintenance services, and mechanics in a more agile, collaborative, and efficient way, ensuring the rapid return of aircraft to service. Benefiting from a start-up mindset and Embraer’s 50 years of experience, Beacon opens a new digital era in aviation maintenance services. Based on network connections, Beacon brings a new dynamic to the maintenance and services ecosystem, being capable of serving any manufacturer, anywhere. By signing this agreement, Beacon launches its platform in Europe while building awareness of its fleet agnostic approach, as ABS Jets has a mixed fleet of aircraft and helicopters from several manufactures. ABS Jets expects Beacon’s adoption rate to increase among their partners in Europe and North America. They plan to not only onboard their own team members but also invite their OEMs and field service representatives while expanding the network to better serve their customers. GE Aviation breaks ground for new manufacturing ops: GE Aviation recently broke ground on its new lean engine component manufacturing facility for both civil and military aviation and aero derivative applications. The facility will be built on 53 acres in the Miami Valley Research Park located at 4230 Research Blvd in Beavercreek, Ohio. The 280,000 square foot facility is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2022 and fully operational by the end of 2022. The new facility will optimise manufacturing operations and advanced technology development into one facility, combining operations from seven buildings into one. GE currently has approximately 400 hourly and salaried employees who will be located at the new facility. GE Aviation’s new facility will focus on new technology development as well as new product introduction. The facility will develop and manufacture gas turbine engine components and mechanical systems for a variety of industries, including aviation, space, defence, and oil and gas. Kleos Polar Vigilance satellites dispatched to Cape Canaveral: Kleos Space, a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance data-as-a-service (DaaS) company, confirmed the successful dispatch of its cluster of four Polar Vigilance Mission satellites (KSF1) from Delft in the Netherlands to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Under a rideshare contract with Spaceflight, the satellites will lift-off aboard the Spaceflight SXRS-5 / SpaceX Transporter-2 mission. The satellites have been built by small satellite specialist Innovative Solutions In Space B.V (ISISPACE). The Polar Vigilance Mission will provide global data that will increase Kleos’s overall coverage density in the equatorial region and also cover areas North and South of the Kleos Scouting Mission satellites which successfully launched in November into a 37-degree inclined orbit. Kleos uses clusters of four satellites to collect radio transmissions over key areas of interest around the globe. After processing, a geospatial data product is delivered to analytics and intelligence entities for government and commercial use – efficiently uncovering data points of human activity on land and sea. Topcast enters into distribution agreement with H3R Aviation: Topcast Aviation Supplies and H3R Aviation have signed a distribution agreement offering effective aircraft fire extinguishing agents worldwide. Fire in the air is one of the most hazardous situations that pilots and flight crews can face.  Without immediate intervention, a fire on board an aircraft can quickly lead to the catastrophic loss of that aircraft. H3R Aviation is the leading supplier of Halon and Halotron extinguishers, multipurpose (Class A, B & C fires) agents that chemically interrupt a fire’s combustion chain reaction. The use of halon fire extinguishers is addressed in the FAA Advisory Circular 120-80, and stresses the effectiveness of Halon, when fighting an in-flight fire. H3R Aviation fire extinguishers include Halon 1211, Halotron  1, Halotron BrX and FM-200 hand portable units, and Halon 1211, Halotron 1 and Novec(TM) 1230 wheeled extinguishers that meet DOT requirements and comply with FAA and/or National Fire Protection Association recommendations. H3R Aviation, a member of the H3R group of companies, is the largest supplier of portable clean agent fire extinguishers to the aviation industry. GKN Aerospace delivers first wings, empennage and wiring for all-electric Alice: GKN Aerospace has reached an important milestone in its collaboration with Eviation (USA) by delivering the first fully-integrated wings, empennage and EWIS for the Alice all-electric aircraft.  The wings and empennage feature advanced composite technology and are the first delivered by GKN Aerospace as fully integrated structures. Alice is taking advantage of GKN Aerospace’s multi-technology specialist skills in airframe, structures and EWIS from right across the business. The build and assembly has been supported with products manufactured in Cowes, Filton, Western Approach and Hoogerheide (NL). Final assembly and integration was completed at the brand new £32 million Global Technology Centre in Bristol. GKN Aerospace and Eviation announced the collaboration agreement covering the design and manufacture of wings, empennage and electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS) in May 2020. The rapid development and delivery showcases GKN Aerospace’s ability to support the faster time-to-market of electrical aircraft. Alice is preparing for its first flight later this year and will fly nine passengers for up to 440 nautical miles. Embraer celebrates London City Airport clearance for E190-E2: In an important milestone for the E2 programme, the first of Embraer’s E2 family, the E190-E2, has been certified for Steep Approach; a requirement to operate at London City Airport (LCY). EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) certification was granted 11 May. London City Airport sits on the doorstep of the city’s global financial district and is known as a premier business airport, but also as a key short-haul hub for destinations in continental Europe because of its convenience and speedy passenger experience. However, its location means operating aircraft must be compatible with the airport’s steep approach and short runway; meeting strict noise regulations for the surrounding communities. In certification testing, EASA figures confirmed the E190-E2 has the lowest noise levels among all new generation single aisle aircraft and will be the only jet operating at LCY certified to ICAO’s strict Chapter 14 regulation. The new aircraft’s wings, engines, and systems make the aircraft significantly quieter than the previous E190; for communities around LCY this means the E190-E2 noise footprint at takeoff is 63 percent smaller than current E190s operating from LCY. SITA signs deal with Corsair: French long-haul airline Corsair is offering members of its loyalty programme, Le Club Corsair, flying aboard the airline’s new Airbus A330neo fleet, a highly personalised internet connectivity package based on their tier of loyalty program and class of travel, thanks to SITA’s Internet ONAIR. This means passengers can now access the internet and pay in one click. By linking the passenger list to the Wi-Fi system onboard, passengers need only provide their last name and their seat number to access the internet. Once passengers have enrolled, they will be offered a customized price plan, giving them more choice. Payment, where required, can be made through multiple methods including major credit cards and Apple Pay. This personalised service enhances the overall passenger experience by making the selection of their connectivity plan faster and more efficient without having to follow multiple steps, encouraging more passengers to make use of the service. Gazprom Neft, VTB Bank, Aeroflot agree blockchain payments deal: Gazprom Neft, VTB Bank and Aeroflot have agreed to a deal to develop a system of instant payments for aviation fuel based on blockchain technology and specialised digital tools for the industry. The agreement was signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia. The companies have agreed to work together on the introduction of innovative solutions which cut the processing time for aviation fuel payments from a few days to a few seconds and substantially improve the efficiency and safety of transactions. The agreement builds on Gazprom Neft’s successful launch of the world’s first blockchain platform Smart Fuel at Russian airports which is registered in the Russian Software Register of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation. Payments will be carried out in real time using immutable algorithms of smart contract that store data about transactions and their participants. Flair Airlines signs APU maintenance agreement with EPCOR: EPCOR has added a new Canadian customer to its global customer base. This time the AFI KLM E&M subsidiary based in Amsterdam, which specialises in APU and pneumatic components, won an exclusive maintenance contract for the maintenance of Flair’s expanding Boeing 737 fleet. Flair Airlines, Canada’s only independent ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), is expanding ambitiously with the addition of 13 new Boeing 737MAX 8 aircraft in 2021. Currently the Canadian operator uses three 737-800s, and the new aircraft will grow the fleet to 16. The contract covers the repair and maintenance of the Honeywell GTCP131-9B APU. Key for winning this contract is the expertise that EPCOR has as Honeywell licensed Airline MRO, their ever-evolving predictive maintenance system ‘Prognos for APU’ with latest APU Fleet management functionality. Aviation Safety Asia offers vaccination incentives: To support the global aviation industry and encourage the re-opening of international borders, Aviation Safety Asia has announced it is offering a US$15,000 incentive to encourage vaccination participation. The incentive is open worldwide to any business and general aviation jet operator, including special mission, aeromedical, and any other jet aviation entity that is eligible for accreditation under the ICAO International Standard for Business Aviation Operations (IS-BAO). The initiative is offered in the form of one complimentary renewal accreditation audit, which is usually conducted over two-to-three days. The audit covers the full breadth of aviation management company operations, including safety management systems (SMS), security, and aircraft maintenance. To participate, operators must evidence that their full staff is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by 1 August 2021 whereby a winner will be randomly selected. RED Aircraft names head of sales: RED Aircraft has named Enrico Evers as the new head of sales and customer support. With his extensive experience of over 30 years, in both aircraft and sales, Evers is ideally placed to help make RED Aircraft engines a success in the worldwide aviation market. He has a diverse portfolio when it comes to aviation. He was the master dealer for the Beech Aircraft Company in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg, and has occupied other prestigious roles in Cessna, Piper, and Raytheon, where he was awarded ‘Legion of Honour’ in 1996. His position within RED Aircraft will be to highlight and market the benefits that this revolutionary new engine brings on a global scale. Red Aircraft are specialists in producing high-performance aero engines. The RED A03 engine offers significant advantages in performance and maintenance costs. It is ideal as a ‘green’ solution as the aviation industry reduces its carbon footprint. It offers significant fuel savings and increased range. The RED A03 engine is both EASA and FAA approved. Bristow invests in next generation of pilots: Bristow Group is investing in the next generation of offshore helicopter pilots with its latest sponsored UK cadet programme in partnership with Helicentre Aviation, designed to attract, train and retain the professional pilots of the future. Applications are now open for the programme, which will see four cadets chosen through a rigorous joint selection process. Successful applicants’ training, from ab-initio to commercial pilot on an Integrated CPL(H) course, ultimately obtaining a Multi-Engine Instrument Rating, will be fully funded by Bristow. Established in 2018, the programme provides a pathway to enable cadets to graduate and transition from training straight into employment with Bristow, where they will gain type ratings and begin as First Officers with the world’s largest helicopter operator. Bristow is the only North Sea helicopter operator in the UK that continues to sponsor the future helicopter pilot workforce through its sponsored cadet programme. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]