Airbus forced to quarantine 500 staff in Hamburg after COVID-19 outbreak

©Airbus

Airbus has been forced to quarantine 500 of its 12,000-strong workforce at its Hamburg-Finkenwerder, Germany site after 21 individuals tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus. As of yet it is not known if this is an outbreak of the more virulent variant that has been spreading rapidly throughout Europe from the U.K. These members of staff have been asked to stay at home while the company decides whether or not this will have an impact on production at the Hamburg-Finkenwerder site. Meanwhile, German health authorities are trying to establish the cause of the outbreak, a spokesman of the Hamburg health Read more

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Annette Mann heads Corporate Responsibility unit at Lufthansa Group

Annette Mann

Since the beginning of the year, Annette Mann has headed the newly established unit of Corporate Responsibility at the Lufthansa Group. In this function, she is responsible for the further development, management and implementation of a holistic and Group-wide sustainability program. This includes, in particular, measures for climate-neutral flying, the optimization of the entire travel chain under the aspect of sustainability, Group-wide reporting on non-financial topics, and social commitment. Mann reports directly to Christina Foerster, Executive Board Member Customer, IT & Corporate Responsibility at the Lufthansa Group. In her new role, she has agreed to have Lufthansa Group participate in Read more

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American to update current livery with new, mica-free paint color created for Silver Eagle™

After 12 days in the paint shop, American’s first 737-800 to be repainted with Silver Eagle non-mica paint is ready for departure ©American Airlines

Starting this month, American Airlines’ aircraft approach their regularly scheduled paint refresh date. American will begin repainting them with a new, non-mica gray paint that looks nearly identical to what is soaring across the skies today, but is less expensive, lighter, more fuel efficient and better for the environment. The repaint will update American’s current livery with a new, mica-free paint color created specifically for the airline: Silver Eagle™. “We had an opportunity to do things differently as planes approached their scheduled repaint date,” said Jill Naden, 787 Engineer at American. “We looked at this very carefully and figured out Read more

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German air traffic industry adjusts mandatory mask-wearing requirement with effect from February 1, 2021

As hereby communicated by the Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG), the association of national and international airlines in Germany, the German air traffic industry adjusts the rules regarding compulsory mask wearing. This means that as of February 1, 2021, all passengers, including children as from six years, at German airports as well as onboard the respective aircraft are obliged to wear medical face masks. Permitted are both surgical as well as FFP2 masks, more specifically masks complying with the standard KN95/N95. A simple cloth face covering is no longer sufficient. Furthermore, visors, masks with an outlet valve as Read more

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Boeing sets ambitious target to advance long-term sustainability of commercial aviation

©Boeing ecoDemonstrator flight-test program made the first commercial airplane flight using 100% sustainable fuels with a 777 Freighter

Boeing is setting an ambitious target to advance the long-term sustainability of commercial aviation, committing that its commercial airplanes are capable and certified to fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuels by 2030. Boeing has previously conducted successful test flights replacing petroleum jet fuel with 100% sustainable fuels to address the urgent challenge of climate change. According to the Air Transport Action Group, U.S. Department of Energy and several other scientific studies, sustainable aviation fuels reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80% over the fuel’s life cycle with the potential to reach 100% in the future. Today, sustainable aviation fuels are Read more

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Brussels Airlines signs ground handling contract with Alyzia

©Brussels Airlines

Following the bankruptcy of its handling partner Swissport Belgium in June 2020, Brussels Airlines initiated a procedure to search for a new ground handler in its home base at Brussels Airport. As the bankruptcy vacated the second handling license at the airport, several contenders entered the Belgian market to run for a permanent license. In December, the second permanent operating license was granted to Alyzia, a French company serving over 80 airlines in eight French airports. After a thorough tender process that took several months and which was based on quality, performance and cost criteria, Brussels Airlines decided to appoint Read more

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Airbus’ ramp up of A320 slows to reflect weaker market outlook

©Airbus A320 hangar FAL

While Airbus continues to increase the monthly production numbers for the narrow-body A320 jet, it will be at a reduced level to that previously anticipated. Currently, the European planemaker is producing 40 units per month and this will increase to 43 in the third-quarter 2021, and 45 in the final quarter, both down on the targeted 47 units for July onwards “in response to the market environment.” However, according to Airbus, production numbers for the A350 and A330 will remain stable at five and two units per month, respectively, though this means a postponement of a potential production rate increase Read more

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U.S. Air Force awards Boeing contract for 15 KC-46A tankers

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a US$2.1 billion contract for 15 KC-46A tankers, expanding its fleet of aircraft that will not only set the standard for aerial refueling but will also help enable the integrated digital battlespace. The KC-46 is a widebody, multirole tanker designed for state-of-the-art air refueling, cargo and medical transport. Boeing is now on contract for 94 KC-46A tankers.

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Lufthansa Cargo renews airfreight center in Frankfurt

©Lufthansa Cargo Center Frankfurt

Lufthansa Cargo will further develop and renew the logistics center at its home hub in Frankfurt on a modular basis. The Supervisory Board of the German airfreight company has approved respective investments in a comprehensive infrastructure program for the logistics center. The complete modernization of the Lufthansa Cargo Center has already begun in January 2021 and is to be completed in 2028. The cargo center in Frankfurt is Lufthansa Cargo’s home hub, handling around 80% of its global freight volume. The carrier’s commitment to digitalization, new product requirements and the further increasing importance of e-commerce have changed the demands on Read more

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TAT Piedmont Aviation and Honeywell enter ten-year agreement for APU services

AT Technologies’ fully owned subsidiary Piedmont Aviation (TAT-Piedmont) and Honeywell International have entered into a ten-year agreement for an exclusive worldwide Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) rental services for OEM- authorized GTCP331-500 engines. Under this contract, TAT-Piedmont acquired Honeywell’s GTCP331-500 APU’s rental bank and will offer rental services to airlines which are operating Boeing’s 777 aircraft and will serve on behalf of Honeywell for any rental of Honeywell GTCP331-500 APUs to Honeywell customers on an exclusive basis. In addition, TAT-Piedmont and Honeywell entered into a binding MOA to authorize TAT-Piedmont to provide licensed MRO services on GTCP331-500 APUs, and provide relevant Read more

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