Aviation News in Brief 3 May 2020

Jetstar Asia suspends services to 31 May: As border restrictions across the region remain firmly in place and the Singapore government extends “circuit breaker” measures to 1 June 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Jetstar Asia will further suspend scheduled services until 31 May 2020. Limited services to Manila, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur to repatriate citizens and permanent residents or those with prior written approval for travel will continue. All passengers with existing bookings for travel from 19 May to 31 May 2020 will be offered a refund to the full value of their untraveled booking in the form of a travel credit voucher. The credit voucher can be redeemed up to the value stated on the voucher in one booking only within six months of issue, for travel on Jetstar within 12 months of the booking date. A fare difference, if any, will apply. Aviation Concepts Technical Services achieves gets 4A/4C Gulfstream approval: Philippines-based Aviation Concepts Technical Services (ACTSI) announced its recently upgraded 4A/4C capability certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following the preliminary 1A/1C approval received in the middle of March. The ACTSI MRO is now capable to provide maintenance services for Gulfstream G450, G550, G650 & G650ER. ACTSI has also completed the process of matching the FAA approvals to Bermuda and Cayman aviation authorities, increasing our support for those registered aircraft. ACTSI, a newly refurbished facility for aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services recently opened at the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA), with the goal of transforming the former US Navy base into a 24/7 hub for business aviation in the Asia Pacific. Peach Aviation selects FLYdocs: Peach Aviation, the Japanese low-cost carrier (LCC) that is part of the ANA Group recently invested further into its digital transformation by selecting FLYdocs to automate and digitise its aircraft records. The five-year contract will see FLYdocs digitally manage Peach’s A320 aircraft, helping them adopt a fully paperless approach to their records management. The FLYdocs platform has enhanced M&E systems integrations to seamlessly deliver full digital aircraft compliance on-demand. Emirates announces measures for stored widebodies: Emirates is protecting and readying the world’s largest widebody fleet to take to the skies. Ahmed Safa, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Engineering said: “Emirates moves to a different drumbeat – one where the highest standards are absolutely fundamental to our entire organisational rhythm. Everything we do ladders up to ensuring the best customer experience and people feeling safe and reassured while flying with us.” Of the 270 aircraft in its fleet, Emirates had initially parked and wrapped up 218 aircraft – 117 at Dubai World Central and 101 at Dubai International airport – that involved more than 15,500 man-hours of work. Now around 75 Emirates aircraft, both passenger and freighter, are crisscrossing the planet carrying people on repatriation and cargo on essential missions. These continue to be maintained as per standard operating procedures. Some aircraft are undergoing scheduled heavy maintenance in Emirates Engineering’s hangars. Boeing adds to 77X test flights: Boeing conducted a successful first flight of the second 777X airplane. Capt. Ted Grady, 777X project pilot, and Capt. Van Chaney, 777/777X chief pilot, flew for 2 hours and 58 minutes over Washington state before landing at Seattle’s Boeing Field at 2:02pm. Pacific. Designated WH002, this airplane is the second of four in a dedicated flight test fleet and will test handling characteristics and other aspects of airplane performance. Designated WH002, this airplane is the second of four in a dedicated flight test fleet and will test handling characteristics and other aspects of airplane performance. An array of equipment, sensors and monitoring devices throughout the cabin allows the onboard team to document and evaluate the airplane’s response to test conditions in real time. The 777X test plan lays out a comprehensive series of tests and conditions on the ground and in the air to demonstrate the safety and reliability of the design. To date, crews have flown the first airplane nearly 100 hours at a variety of flap settings, speeds, altitudes and system settings as part of the initial evaluation of the flight envelope. With initial airworthiness now demonstrated, the team can safely add personnel to monitor testing onboard instead of relying solely on a ground-based telemetry station, unlocking testing at greater distances. Frequentis extends Kazakhstan’s voice and data network: Kazakhstan’s National Air Navigation Services Provider (ANSP), Kazaeronavigatsia, is extending its ATM-grade network infrastructure with Frequentis, following the network’s initial success in 2019. Frequentis will continue to modernise Kazakhstan’s ATM communication network in flight information region (FIR) Almaty and Shymkent, allowing the exchange of safety-critical communication and data to advance to the next level. ATM-grade network components out of the Frequentis vitalsphere portfolio, including voice communication solution, VCX-IP, build the foundation for resilient air traffic management network. The Frequentis network solution enables the exchange of air/ground (A/G) and ground/ground (G/G) data over an IP network, while ensuring safety and security at all times. AvAir and Lufthansa Technik announce large material takeover: AvAir, an inventory solutions provider for the aviation aftermarket, and Lufthansa Technik have signed a long-term aftermarket sales agreement. AvAir has purchased the majority of Lufthansa Technik’s overstock of rotable spares inventory. The Arizona-based company acquired 9,000 line items, comprising of components including IDGs (Integrated Drive Generator), FADECs (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) and Starters. The first components will be delivered from Lufthansa Technik facilities in Germany to AvAir facilities in Ireland and Chandler, Arizona in the United States. The complete transfer will be finalised within the next three months. Under a profit share agreement, Lufthansa Technik receives a share of the proceeds from the resold components. All parts are in serviceable or better condition and come from the Lufthansa Airline Group and other Lufthansa Technik customer fleets. The majority of the parts have been maintained by Lufthansa Technik. With this transaction, AvAir has added a wide range of commercial and regional aircraft material to its inventory. Commercial assets include: Airbus A320, A320neo, A330, A340, A380, MD-11, Boeing 737NG, 737 MAX, 747, 757, 767, 777, and 787. Download the latest issue of Asian Aviation here. For Editorial Inquiries contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries contact Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]