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LATEST NEWS
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Friday, August 27th, 2021
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Bristow Group, the global provider of vertical flight solutions to government and civil organizations, and Electra.aero, a pioneering developer of clean and efficient aviation technology solutions, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to pursue a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) and purchase agreement under which the two firms will cooperate on the technical development and certification, as well as marketing and future operations of Electra's hybrid-electric short take-off and landing (eSTOL) aircraft, with an expected volume of 50 aircraft. Future electric air transport service to focus on middle mile logistics for retail distribution.
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The two companies will collaborate on developing a full range of safety and operational features to ensure the new eSTOL aircraft's final configuration, specifications and design features meet customer as well as FAA, EASA and Transport Canada certification and timeline requirements. The companies will also explore new markets for Bristow operations utilizing the Electra eSTOL aircraft, with a focus on "middle mile" logistics for retail distribution, expanding Bristow's service to their existing customer base and specialized passenger services. Today, Bristow operates a fleet of approximately 240 of the industry's most modern aircraft for air mobility transport uses including oil and gas customers, search and rescue (SAR), and government and civil organizations, with annual revenues of over US$1.2 billion.
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Electra's eSTOL aircraft can operate from runways as small as 300x100 feet using a proprietary proven blown lift technology where eight engines provide additional wing lift, and hybrid-electric power that provides internal recharging capabilities for aircraft batteries, eliminating the need for new ground infrastructure. The quieter and more environmentally friendly aircraft is currently being designed to transport up to 1,800 pounds of cargo or move five to seven passengers about 400 to 500 miles. Electra's aircraft can operate in a variety of environments ranging from busy urban areas to remote landing strips, and fly missions ranging from on-demand intracity flights to medical missions, cargo transportation, scheduled passenger service, and more. With greater payload capabilities, longer range, and lower operating costs than competitors, Electra's eSTOL represents the next generation of novel aircraft
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) commended the European Commission for its leadership and speed in delivering the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) and urged states to make it their global standard for digital vaccine certificates.
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“The DCC was delivered in record time to help facilitate the reopening of EU states to travel. In the absence of a single global standard for digital vaccine certificates, it should serve as a blueprint for other nations looking to implement digital vaccination certificates to help facilitate travel and its associated economic benefits,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Deputy Director General.
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The EU DCC meets several key criteria which have been identified as important if a digital vaccination certificate is to be effective:
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- Format: the DCC has the flexibility to be used in both paper and digital format
- QR code: The DCC QR code can be included in both digital and paper format. It contains essential information as well as a digital signature to make sure the certificate is authentic.
- Verification and authentication: The European Commission has built a gateway through which the encrypted data used to sign DCCs and required to authenticate certificate signatures can be distributed across the EU. The gateway can be also used to distribute encrypted data of non-EU certificate issuers other issuers. The EU has also developed a specification for machine readable Validation Rules for cross-country travel.
The EU DCC is implemented in the 27 EU Member states and a number of reciprocal agreements have been agreed with other states’ own vaccination certificates, including Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine. In the absence of a single global standard for digital vaccination certificates, up to 60 other countries are looking to use the DCC specification for their own certification. The DCC is an excellent model as it is consistent with the latest World Health Organization Guidance and is fully supported by IATA Travel Pass. Another benefit of the DCC is that it enables holders to access non-aviation sites in Europe that require proof of vaccination, such as museums, sporting events and concerts.
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Virgin Australia will introduce nine additional Boeing 737-800 aircraft into its mainline fleet from October this year in preparation for an expected increase in domestic travel as vaccination rates rise and interstate borders open.
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The aircraft are planned for operation over the peak summer season to accommodate expected holiday travel, with an aim for all nine to be in the air by mid-February 2022.
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Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the additional aircraft reflected Virgin Australia’s commitment to its customers, team members and Australia’s aviation sector into the long term, despite the significant challenges currently presented by COVID-19 and associated border closures.
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Virgin Australia has also commenced planning for the mid-2023 arrival of its first Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft, which will deliver greater operational efficiencies and enhanced product and design features for customers and the environment.
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Governors America Corp. (GAC), a veteran-owned, Massachusetts-based global manufacturer of engine solutions, has received its AS9100 certification. An international aerospace manufacturing standard, the AS9100 ensures that an organization has a quality management system capable of consistently providing products that meet statutory and regulatory requirements. Many aerospace manufacturers require AS9100 approval from its suppliers.
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“This certification will open up new doors for us and further proves the quality of what we produce,” said Governors America Corp. president Sean Collins. “For more than 35 years, we have been developing and manufacturing essential parts for almost everything that moves. This certification raises us to a new level, allowing our body of work to grow and expand.”
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Bombardier has announced the delivery of a fifth Global business jet to Swedish defense supplier Saab’s Linköping, Sweden, ready for conversion into Saab’s Airborne Early Warning and Control solution known as GlobalEye. The aircraft was delivered to Saab from Bombardier’s Toronto manufacturing site after interior completions works at Flying Colours Corp. in Peterborough, Ontario, prior to arriving in Sweden.
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Carl-Johan Bergholm, Senior Vice President and head of Saab business area Surveillance commented that: “Saab partners with industry leaders, which is why we chose Bombardier’s Global 6000 aircraft as the platform for our advanced Airborne Early Warning and Control solution. We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration with Bombardier and Canadian industry.”
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Fellow Canadian company Flying Colours Corp. supports Saab through the introduction of a practical, functional interior for the mission system operators. Designing a special mission interior necessitates an intelligent approach, ingenuity and imagination,” said Sean Gillespie, Executive VP for Flying Colours Corp. “Our work with Saab showcases the high levels of technical expertise delivered by our experience, knowledge and the exceptional talent within our team.”
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Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) has delivered one ATR 72-600, MSN 1131, to new customer DAT on lease.
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DAT is a Danish airline founded in 1989 by Kirsten and Jesper Rungholm. DAT, formerly known as Danish Air Transport, started as a freight carrier operating with a single twin engine plane that flew with everything from mail and packages to racehorses. Today DAT transports close to one million passengers every year in a fleet of ATR, MD 82/83 and Airbus A320 aircraft.
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Air New Zealand has announced a loss before other significant items and taxation of NZ$440 million for the 2021 financial year and a net loss of NZ$289 million – its first full 12-month period of operation with COVID-19 related international travel restrictions. Using the same metric, the company reported an NZ$87 million loss for the 2020 financial year.
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Statutory losses before taxation, which include a NZ$29 million gain from other significant items, were NZ$411 million, compared to a loss of NZ$628 million last year.
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The financial result benefited from approximately NZ$450 million of Government assistance including airfreight support schemes as well as further subsidies and initiatives that are not expected to be repeated to the same extent in the 2022 financial year.
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Ongoing border restrictions saw operating revenue decline 48% to NZ$2.5 billion as international flying was significantly reduced, with capacity down 55% on the prior year, although cargo flying revenue grew by 71% compared to the prior year thanks to airfreight support schemes. The airline's domestic business performed strongly, led by strong leisure demand as well as corporate customers flying at close to pre-COVID levels.
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