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Jet Maintenance Solutions is seeing strong recovery in business aviation

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, aviation’s future seemed bleak. While airlines are still not operating at full capacity, European business aviation companies saw a strong rebound in the month of July 2020. In the statistical data released by EBAA, some European airports have reported an increase in departures of business jet aircraft. Palma de Mallorca, Spain, airport has seen a 17% increase in private aviation airplanes departing the airport compared to July 2019. With positive recovery signs, the business aviation industry is becoming a popular choice among people looking for a way to travel in comfort while minimizing Read more

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Lufthansa Cargo opens pharma facilities in Munich and Chicago

Ribbon cutting at Lufthansa Cargo Pharma Hub Munich ©Lufthansa Cargo

After a construction period of only five months, the new “Lufthansa Cargo Pharma Hub Munich” has opened at Munich Airport. It offers space for up to 96 pallets and loose cargo in two different temperature ranges (+2 to +8 °C and +15 to +25 °C) and a freezer (down to -18 °C) on almost 1000 m² and on several levels. A CEIV Pharma-certification by the International Air Transport Association of the new Pharma-Hub in Munich is planned for this fall. This will also be the first pharma-certification by the aviation association at Munich Airport. As a global standard, the certification Read more

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Lufthansa clears way to year end with short-term crisis agreement with Vereinigung Cockpit

©Lufthansa

Lufthansa, Europe’s second-largest commercial airline by passenger numbers, has announced it has come to a short-term agreement with Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), the airline pilots’ union, with regard to crisis measures required to deal with the effects the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the industry. Those pilots covered by the agreement fly for Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa Aviation Training and a number of Germanwings pilots. According to Lufthansa, top-up payments for short-time working compensation benefits and employer contributions to the pension scheme will be reduced from September onwards, while collective wage increases negotiated for 2020 will be postponed until January 2021. Read more

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Air bp and Neste to offer increased volume of sustainable aviation fuel in Europe

©Air bp refuels aircraft

Air bp, the international aviation fuel products and services supplier and Neste, the largest producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), have signed an agreement to offer an increased volume of sustainable aviation fuel to airport customers in 2020 and 2021. The volume is five-times larger than that supplied by the businesses in 2019. Air bp will make the Neste-produced SAF available at selected airports in Europe, with deliveries to airports including Stockholm (ARN) and Oslo (OSL) expected to begin in the coming weeks. The increased supply of SAF comes in response to rising demand from existing and Read more

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Boeing to extend voluntary redundancy package

©Boeing

Having previously announced a target of a 10% in its 160,000-strong workforce, Boeing has announced that it is looking to extend its voluntary redundancy package, though unusually it has not put a ceiling on the number of additional employees it is looking to shed. This second round of cuts is not restricted solely to the commercial airplanes and services sector, but will include corporate functions according to current CEO, Dave Calhoun. “Unfortunately, layoffs are a hard but necessary step to align to our new reality, preserve liquidity and position ourselves for the eventual return to growth,” Calhoun said in the Read more

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Swissport wins Qatar Airways Cargo business in Amsterdam, Manchester and Birmingham

©Swissport wins Qatar Airways Cargo business in Amsterdam

Swissport and Qatar Airways Cargo have renewed their agreement covering airport ground services and cargo handling at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The contract includes ramp handling and air cargo warehousing as well as handling of general cargo, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods and temperature-sensitive goods. The contract is valid until the end of 2025. The renewed agreement provides Swissport with a substantial baseload of cargo tons per year at Amsterdam airport where, thanks to direct ramp access, it offers fast and secure transfers of cargo shipments to and from aircraft through the Swissport warehouse. Via its Manchester and Birmingham warehouses, Swissport Read more

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Honeywell to provide flight deck technologies for Vertical Aerospace demonstrator vehicle

Honeywell and Vertical Aerospace have signed a letter of intent naming Honeywell as the supplier for flight deck technologies for its demonstrator aircraft program. The demonstrator program will help Vertical Aerospace understand flight characteristics, system requirements and the flight deck user interface to further the development of its urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle. The agreement deepens the collaboration between the two companies following the signing of contracts in 2019 to equip Vertical demonstration aircraft with the Honeywell Compact Fly-By-Wire System and flight control software. The new agreement includes several other technologies present in the front end of the aircraft. These Read more

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Iran refuses to pay compensation for downed Ukrainian jet

The Iranian government has refused Ukraine’s request for compensation for the loss of the Ukrainian Airlines Boeing 737 that was accidentally shot down shortly after take-off from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport on January 8 this year. While the government does not rule out paying compensation for the victims, even though an initial offer made in February was rejected by the Ukraine, the request to pay compensation for the jet itself has been rejected as it was insured by European insurers, not Iranian insurers. “The Ukrainian plane is insured by European companies in Ukraine and not by Iranian (insurance) companies,” Read more

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Repatriation flight ends in tragedy as Air India 737 crashes killing 18 passengers and crew

An Air India Express Boeing 737 repatriation flight carrying 190 passengers and crew has crashed at Calicut International airport, killing 18 passengers and crew, including both pilots. The plane, arriving from Dubai, was making its second attempt to land in poor conditions on the ‘table-top’ runway on August 7, when it shot off the end of the runway and broke into two sections. A table-top runway is a term used to describe a runway which has a relatively steep drop at either one, or both ends. In this instance, the plane sheared in two as it slid off the runway Read more

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Austrian Airlines calls for comprehensive COVID-19 testing to replace landing and entry bans

©Austrian Airlines

On Friday, August 8, the Austrian Federal Government allowed landing bans for flights from 18 countries to expire. These bans did not apply in other EU member states. Nevertheless, the many different travel regulations in the European Union make it more difficult for people to travel freely and for airlines to reliably plan flight schedules. At a press conference, Austrian Airlines CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech called for comprehensive COVID-19 tests to be carried out on all passengers from high-risk countries as a means of alleviating this situation. “The freedom to travel is an important cornerstone of our modern-day society which Read more

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