Aviation News in Brief 5 November 2020

Airbus wins European Space Agency TRUTHS mission study: Airbus has been awarded the lead in the European Space Agency (ESA) contract for the TRUTHS A/B1 (System feasibility Studies and Pre-Developments) as part of ESA’s Earth Observation Earth Watch programme. The TRUTHS satellite mission will collect measurements of the Sun’s radiation and of the sunlight reflected off the Earth’s surface traced to an absolute metrological reference, which will then be used to improve the climatological data sets and calibrate the observations of other satellites. This space-based climate and calibration observing system will enable data from other satellites to be compared more easily providing greater standards of data harmonisation for even more accurate climate change forecasts. TRUTHS stands for Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial and Helio Studies. The study will define the TRUTHS mission system implementation concept as well as focus on the preparation of critical technologies ahead of implementation of the mission in 2023. flypop Announces Investment from the UK government’s Future Fund: flypop announced a significant investment from the UK government’s Future Fund. flypop, a UK international long-haul low-cost airline, plans to launch in 2021 with scheduled flights to India. It will cater not only to the UK’s Indian/South Asian diaspora but will also serve those keen to explore the Indian sub-continent and region with very low-priced flights. flypop, now completing its final funding round, will begin negotiating low cost airport deals in both the UK and India. In addition, it will continue discussions with aircraft manufacturers to secure the best deals which will enable the company to offer the lowest possible fares to the public. Initially, £250 million was made available by the government for investment through the scheme, to be matched by private investors, with the Treasury making clear the amount could be increased if needed. Due to the popularity of the Fund, more funding is being made available. Developed by the government and delivered by the British Business Bank, the government’s Future Fund launched for applications in May and will initially be open until the end of November. New Australian scholarships support students in aerospace and avionics: Twenty senior high school and first year engineering students from across Australia with a passion for aerospace and avionics have been selected to receive scholarships from the Australian Youth Aerospace Association (AYAA), which are proudly supported by Raytheon Australia. The series of scholarships were available in two categories – the Australian Youth Aerospace Leader category, offered to Australian high school students in Year 10 to 12 who have a keen interest in aerospace or avionics, and the Australian Youth Aerospace Scholar category, offered to students in their first year of an engineering degree at any Australian university. Raytheon Australia supported AYAA to facilitate the scholarships, offering these 20 students the opportunity to excel in their studies and aid their professional development. The significant scholarships will provide recipients $1,000 to go towards their education and professional development. Three scholarship recipients will also receive mentoring from a Raytheon Australia engineering expert, providing them with the opportunity to learn about the wonders of engineering and understand the pathways available to them after high school and university. Air New Zealand releases 2020 sustainability report: Air New Zealand has released its latest sustainability report, which outlines the airline’s progress against its sustainability goals over the past year. The report is focused on the most material sustainability opportunities and challenges Air New Zealand is tackling – supporting people and communities, tackling climate change, supporting New Zealand through sustainable tourism, working with our suppliers, and reducing waste and plastic. Air New Zealand 2020 sustainability highlights include: 10,557 tonnes CO-2e saved through carbon reduction programme; 35,045 tonnes of cargo carried, including 20,000 tonnes under the International Airfreight Capacity Scheme commenced with the Ministry of Transport in May 2020; 7.1 percent uptake rate of voluntary carbon offsetting across all activated online sites globally, up from 4.6 percent in the previous year; 498 threatened species and 42 conservation dogs relocated; More than 8,900 blankets donated to a range of charitable organisations; More than 770,000 dry goods including muesli, crackers and sauces redistributed to New Zealand food banks; 142.7 tonnes of sealed, unused catering items reinjected onto aircraft instead of going to landfill. Download the report here. e-Mersion Media enters partnership Retail inMotion: Australian digital publisher e-Mersion Media (e-MM) announced an exclusive three-year partnership with Retail inMotion (RiM), a provider of retail and technology solutions for airlines. The partnership will focus on expanding the provision of digital content into the international airline and rail markets, where RiM have established relationships with over 40 of the world’s best airlines. e-Mersion Media creates interactive, bespoke mobile platforms that deliver a fully immersive experience to the user while driving significant ancillary revenue channels for advertisers, complete with end-to-end usage, engagement tracking and user data analytics. Within the context of the aviation and travel sector, this includes providing a contactless, digital on-board experience for passengers where they can access a suite of services via their mobile device that not only includes inflight magazine and entertainment, but also the opportunity to purchase duty free items along with food and beverage, throughout the flight at their leisure. Sabre, Qantas strengthen partnership: Sabre announced an enhancement to its agreement with Qantas that will offer agents access to richer information about the airline’s fares, products and services. Sabre’s graphical Sabre Red 360 interface will now showcase Qantas products with rich, relevant and engaging content through the airline’s connection with ATPCO. Sabre will integrate Qantas’ UPAs (Universal Product Attributes), or targeted visual content, that bring unique airline fares, products and services to life. This content has recently expanded into Reassurance UPAs which highlight messaging and graphics about the additional health measures airlines like Qantas are taking to ensure a safe travel environment. Sabre Red 360 will also showcase Qantas Amenities, such as seat pitch and power outlets, and UTAs (Universal Ticket Attributes) which are consumer-friendly benefits such as baggage allowance and seat selection. The connection to Qantas’ ATPCO Routehappy Rich Content expands on Sabre’s existing partnership with Qantas through its Branded Fares solution to deliver greater value to the industry. AirAsia introduces health app: Airasia.com is introducing airasia Health, a digital platform in ASEAN that offers end-to-end medical services. As a kickstart to the launch, airasia Health is making available bookings for COVID-19 RT PCR tests on its platform provided by its medical partners from Lifecare Diagnostic Medical Centre and Sunway Medical Centre. For more information and to book, please visit airasia.com/health. airasia Health partners with reputable medical providers and hospitals, and offers a complete range of services from professional consultations, booking treatments such as health screenings, aesthetics, wellness and fertility sessions, to on-ground logistics services including flights, accommodation, support services such as medical visa and medical companion, all through a single platform. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]