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Wednesday, June 6th, 2018
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LATEST NEWS
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The UK’s Tory government has given the green light to the construction of what has long been seen as an essential third runway for the country’s busiest airport, London Heathrow, also known as Heathrow Airport. The need for expansion of capacity of airports located near London has been the topic of heated debate for some considerable time and the desire to expand the capacity of Heathrow, in particular, discussed for over 20 years.
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Major objections have come from local residents, while other campaigners have been critical of the increased levels of both noise and carbon dioxide pollution that will ensue from what is envisaged to be an increase in capacity of 700 planes a day.
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It is anticipated that the new runway will be completed by 2026 and the funding for the £14 billion (US$18.75 billion) cost will be funded from private sources. The airport is owned and operated by Heathrow Airport Holdings, which itself is owned by FGP TopCo Ltd., an international consortium led by Ferrovial and which also includes Qatar Holdings and China Investment Corporation.
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According to Ferrovial, the Spanish infrastructure firm, the current airport is operating virtually at capacity and the creation of a third runway will increase the airport’s capacity from 85.5 million to 130 million passengers per annum. It is estimated that the expansion will create somewhere in the region of 60,000 new jobs, while generating up to £70 billion (US$94 billion) in economic benefits by 2050.
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In relation to the original plans submitted for governmental approval, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling confirmed that 24 out of 25 improvements recommended by Transport Select Committee had been accepted, stating that the new runway would provide a “vital legacy” for the British economy.
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Royal Jordanian has launched direct, scheduled Amman-Copenhagen flights on June 3. The new destination is part of RJ’s turnaround plan that includes, among others, continuous assessment of the route network in order to enhance traffic to Jordan and improve connectivity via the base, Amman.
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The new route, launched after having conducted a feasibility study, is expected to attract more tourists to Jordan, facilitate travel for businessmen, and enhance trade between Jordan and the Scandinavian market.
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Transoft Solutions, a global leader in transportation engineering design and analysis software, has released, that its Belgian affiliate company has acquired Airtopsoft SA, a leading developer of airspace and airport modeling solutions.
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Airtopsoft will continue operating as a standalone company, managing key operations from its office in Belgium. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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Airtopsoft was founded in 2006 when it first launched its flagship software, AirTOp. The Brussels-based company has since positioned itself as developers of advanced simulation solutions for decision making and analysis for airport, air traffic control and airspace professionals.
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Airtopsoft has customers around the world and lists airports, air navigation service providers, research labs, service companies, aircraft manufacturers and airlines among its clients.
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Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company, has delivered one A320-NEO each to Air Malta and Jazeera Airways.
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This is the Second Avolon aircraft on lease to Air Malta and the fourth Avolon aircraft on lease to Jazeera Airways.
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released that Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, has assumed his duties as Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors (BoG) for a one-year term effective from the conclusion of the 74th IATA Annual General Meeting in Sydney, Australia.
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Al Baker is the 77th chair of the IATA BoG and the first CEO from Qatar Airways to hold the position. He has served on the BoG since 2012. He succeeds Goh Choon Phong, CEO of Singapore Airlines.
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Delta has reported operating performance for May 2018. System traffic for the month increased 2.9% compared to the previous year, while capacity was up 3.5%. System load factor slightly dropped, 0.4 points, to 86.3% compared to May 2017.
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Finnair and Cathay Pacific Airlines, based in Hong Kong, have agreed on a new codeshare cooperation on the routes operated by Cathay Dragon, Cathay Pacific Airline’s affiliate, between Hong Kong and selected destinations in Asia.
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The new codeshare agreement adds four new destinations to Finnair’s network in Asia. From June 15 onwards Finnair customers can connect with Cathay Dragon’s flights from Hong Kong to Hanoi and Danang, Vietnam, to Yangon, Myanmar and to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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In addition, subject to regulatory approval, from July 11, Finnair customers can connect from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur.
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Lufthansa LEOS, the ground handling services expert at Germany's major airports, has been using the first eTug at Frankfurt Airport since 2016. The subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik has now put a second one into operation. During its construction, some improvement potentials were taken into account, which the company made on the basis of the operational experience with the first eTug - both with regard to the technical design of the vehicle and the ergonomics for the driver.
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The 700 kW electric vehicle developed by the Swedish company Kalmar Motor AB arrived at Lufthansa LEOS in Frankfurt in the spring of this year. After the necessary upgrade work, such as the installation of radio and transponders, it is now in use at Frankfurt Airport.
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The eTug ensures environmentally friendly maintenance and positioning towing as well as pushbacks of large passenger aircraft. It brings aircraft such as the Airbus A380 or the Boeing 747 purely electrically to their parking positions, to the hangar, to the gate or on the way using pushback and can move aircraft up to a maximum take-off weight of 600 tons. That's 15 times his own weight.
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By using the eTug, up to 75% of emissions can be saved compared to a conventional, diesel-powered aircraft tractor. The noise level of the eTug is also significantly lower.
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Japan Air Commuter (JAC) and ATR have announced the conversion of one of the ATR 42-600s that the airline currently has on order, into an ATR 72-600.
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The carrier and ATR have previously signed firm contracts for the introduction of nine ATR 42-600s. JAC, a regional subsidiary of Japan Airlines (JAL), introduced its first ATR 42-600 early in 2017 and today operates four of the aircraft. The delivery of the ATR 72-600 is expected before the end of this year.
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The converted ATR 72-600 will be configured with 70 seats, adding seat capacity to the overall offer of the airline. Japan has many beautiful islands that both national and foreign tourists visit to enjoy their unique nature and countryside. The ATR aircraft, because of their size and ability to operate in small airfields and short runways, are perfectly suited for these regions.
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Commercial jet engine MRO provider, GA Telesis Engine Services Oy (GATES) has announced the appointment of Jukka Laurila as Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer.
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Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, he will manage MRO service operations and act as the accountable manager for regulatory purposes.
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Laurila is a transport industry professional with more than 20 years in the sector specializing in airline, network and fleet management. He joins GATES from Jet Time A/S, a Danish airline operating a fleet of Boeing 737NG aircraft, where he served as Managing Director of Jet Time Oy in Finland. Prior to his successful tenure at Jet Time, Laurila held key positions at Bombardier and Blue1 Oy, a Finnish airline based in Helsinki, Finland.
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Laurila is assuming the responsibilities of Carsten Holm, who has been appointed the GATES Chief Commercial Officer.
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Laurila will be responsible for continuing to drive GATES’ operational results and overall productivity to enhance the company’s market positioning through use of lean practices and significant technological enhancements through capital investment.
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