Daily2018-02-20

Tuesday, September 25th, 2018

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LATEST NEWS

Bombardier delivers first 90-seat Q400 aircraft to SpiceJet

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft has delivered its first 90-seat Q400 aircraft.

The aircraft was handed over to India’s SpiceJet the launch operator for the extra-capacity, 90-seat aircraft.

SpiceJet is India’s favourite airline that has made flying affordable for more Indians than ever before. SpiceJet operates 412 average daily flights to 54 destinations, including 47 domestic and 7 international ones. The airline connects its network with a fleet of 36 Boeing 737NG and 22 Bombardier Q400 aircraft. The majority of the airline’s fleet offers SpiceMax, the most spacious economy class seating in India.

SpiceJet also operates a dedicated air cargo service under the brand name SpiceXpress offering safe, on-time, efficient and seamless cargo connectivity across India and on international routes. SpiceJet is the first Indian airline to offer end-to-end cargo services and the airline’s freighters fleet consist of Boeing 737 aircraft.

EPlane

First automated steam cleaning system for engine heat exchangers goes into operation

Lufthansa Technik AG has put the first automated steam cleaning system for engine heat exchangers in the world into operation. The system is an in-house development that makes it possible to clean all heat exchangers found in common engine types without the use of chemical cleaning agents. The method has already been classified as patentable by the German Patent Office. Not only is it far more efficient than the previous practice of cleaning heat exchangers manually; it also saves resources and protects the environment - in the true spirit of Green MRO.

Heat exchangers are located in different places in the engine. They ensure the temperature of the air flow through compressor stages, combustion chamber as well as high and low pressure turbines.

The new system can be adjusted specifically to every heat exchanger and its level of contamination. The cleaning process itself is fully automated. All heat exchangers can be completely cleaned in about an hour instead of the average 16 hours it took previously. Even the most persistent dirt can be removed effortlessly thanks to the system's high cleaning performance. And after being cleaned, the heat exchangers are as good as new and regain their original performance levels.

Fraport Greece presents future look of Thessaloniki’s Makedonia airport (SKG)

Fraport Greece has presented the future look of Thessaloniki’s Makedonia Airport (SKG) at a ground-breaking ceremony held September 19 on the site of the new 34,000-m² passenger terminal that will open in the next two years.

Fraport Greece, a subsidiary of Fraport AG, is investing some €100 million in creating a “new era” at Greece’s second largest city. Along with the second terminal, this investment includes: refurbishing the existing terminal (total floor space of 24,000 m²), constructing a new fire station and upgrading the waste-water biological treatment unit, as well as connecting it to the main city network. Other enhancements will increase operational capacity thanks to more check-in counters (up 47%), a doubling of the security lanes, additonal baggage delivery belts (up 75%), and a 50% increase in the number of terminal gates.

At the same time, major upgrade works taking place elsewhere at the airport include reconstructing the runway and apron areas and installing a modern baggage handling and control system. Fraport Greece’s SKG development program, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, will significantly increase capacity for a modern gateway to the city of Thessaloniki and its wider region.

Pentagon2000

Delta to launch first biometric terminal in the U.S.

Delta Air Lines, in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), is launching the first biometric terminal in the United States at Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal (Terminal F) in Atlanta.

Beginning late this year, customers flying direct to an international destination have the option of using facial recognition technology from curb to gate, transforming the customer journey with a seamless travel experience through the airport.

Delta employees’ input has been key to move facial recognition from testing to this full-scale launch — they’ve provided invaluable feedback on everything from the best camera angle for a successful scan to an added device enhancement that better facilitates face-to-face interactions with customers. Based on initial testing, the facial recognition option not only saves up to nine minutes per flight, but provides employees an opportunity to have more meaningful interactions with customers throughout the journey.

Comlux adds Challenger 605 based in Madrid to charter fleet

Comlux has announced that a new Bombardier Challenger 605 has just joined the fleet of its VIP operations division, Comlux Aviation. The aircraft is registered under Comlux Malta AOC and based in Madrid.

The Challenger 605, certified for 9 passengers, features a spacious and bright cabin interior composed of executive seating with two club-2 seats and a lounge area with a comfortable sofa and another set of club-2 seats. Its positioning in Madrid allows non-stop routes to any place in Europe and the Mediterranean region, as well as the east coast of the US.

Bombardier MRO

CTT Systems announces Cair™ VIP order for ACJ319neo

CTT SYSTEMS AB, a market leader of aircraft humidity control systems, has received Cair™ VIP Inflight Humidification system order from Fokker Techniek BV for one Airbus ACJ319neo.

Installation will take place during subject green aircraft outfitting project performed by Fokker Techniek BV. The system installation will feature increased humidity in the entire aircraft cabin, which requires support from two humidifiers. This award is CTT Systems’ 91th order for Airbus ACJ/Boeing BBJ VIP aircraft.

Airbus Helicopters focuses on wind turbine growth market

Airbus Helicopters views the support for wind farms as a business segment that is undergoing global growth and expects demand for up to a thousand helicopters over the coming two decades, corresponding to revenues of approximately €9 billion. Airbus Helicopters will present its supply, maintenance and crew transport solutions at the WindEnergy expo, which will be held in Hamburg this week.

“Helicopters are an integral part of any logistics concept for offshore wind farms,” says Dennis Bernitz, Head of Western Europe Sales. “Our helicopters can complete missions for wind farms in a particularly quick, economical, safe and environmentally friendly manner. Helicopters can be used to deploy technicians or medical personnel in emergencies, even in rough seas, and can also transport operating personnel between the shore and the wind farm.” Helicopter transport means that personnel avoid problems with seasickness caused by travelling by sea in rough weather conditions. The probability of mistakes being made by seasick technicians is considerably higher than in the case of healthy technicians; in severe cases, the error rate climbs dramatically.

With turbine output rising, leading to a higher rate of electricity production, wind farm operators rely on an efficient, rapid-response logistics system, relying on high availability, to keep losses to a minimum should a malfunction occur. At the same time, wind farms are being built further and further from the shore. A helicopter can cover 40 nautical miles (approximately 74 km) in 20 minutes, meaning it can reach the site and return to shore faster than a transport vessel.

Airbus Helicopters has developed a logistics calculator for wind farm operators, which takes into account all relevant factors – weather, location and the number of turbines in the wind farm – to determine the most economical and environmentally friendly logistics solution which includes options on the mix of transport and special-purpose vessels.

Kellstrom

Lufthansa group chooses FL Technics for 28 Airbus 320s

After several ad-hoc maintenance projects, FL Technics, a global provider of integrated aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul services, has signed a long-term joint contract with Lufthansa group companies (network and point-to-point airlines) for MRO services.

The first aircraft is scheduled for maintenance at the beginning of October 2018 in Vilnius (Lithuania) and will be followed by the rest during the 2018 and 2019 season in FL Technic’s Lithuanian hangars.
“The Lufthansa Group airlines have a huge A320 Base Maintenance demand with some 300 aircraft in service and pooled within the LH Group Technical Fleet Management,” said Thomas Rueckert, Vice President Base Maintenance Services at Lufthansa Technik.

“Alongside our internal Lufthansa Technik capabilities, we employ a two-tier strategy by having an additional strong and reliable supplier - like FL Technics - at our side. We always tender demand beyond our own capacity to leverage the very dynamic MRO market. We are happy to have found high-quality services and a very attractive commercial offer from FL Technics.”

Liebherr LAMC Aviation (Changsha) delivers first C919 landing gear assembled in China

Liebherr LAMC Aviation (Changsha), the joint venture between the Chinese company LAMC (AVIC Landing Gear Advanced Manufacturing Corp.) and German-based Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH delivered the first C919 landing gear system which has been assembled in China to its air framer customer COMAC.

The assembly line for the landing gear of the C919 at Liebherr LAMC Aviation (Changsha) Co., Ltd. was built jointly by Liebherr and its partner LAMC based on the assembly facilities and testing equipment of Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH, Lindenberg (Germany), Liebherr’s center of competence for landing gear and flight control systems.

Arndt Schoenemann, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Liebherr LAMC Aviation (Changsha) stated: “The delivery of the first complete C919 landing gear system assembled in China by Liebherr LAMC Aviation (Changsha) Co., Ltd. to COMAC represents a further major milestone in the history of our Joint Venture. We are very happy to contribute together our experience and know-how to the success of the prestigious C919 program. It reflects an even more important step, because we are able to hand over the first system to our customer much earlier in the prototype phase of the C919 than originally planned.”

Liebherr LAMC Aviation (Changsha) will assemble the next C919 nose and main landing gears in Changsha. Step by step, the joint venture is taking over the direct procurement of the parts delivered by approved suppliers.

Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH had been selected by COMAC to develop, manufacture, qualify, certify and service the landing gear system of the C919 whereas its sister company, Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse SAS, center of competence for air management systems, provides also a major system on board the C919, the integrated air management system.

AAR

First ATR 42-500 upgrade completed with Universal Avionics SBAS-FMS

Universal Avionics (UA) has announced the first SBAS-Flight Management System (FMS) upgrade for the ATR 42-500 type.

The operator, First Air, also performed the engineering design, certification, and installation for their fleet renewal. Six First Air ATR 42-500 aircraft have each received dual UA UNS-1Fw SBAS-FMSs and a Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS).

First Air’s ATR 42-500 aircraft operate in Northern Canada, where the area relies on air services to support economic development and to connect its remote air-access-only communities with one-another and the world. Weather is often challenging and the ability to fly RNAV (GNSS) LPV LOS approach procedures is essential. The new UA SBAS-FMSs replace obsolete factory non-SBAS FMSs, and give First Air the ability to fly these essential approaches along with procedures with RF leg segments.

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UPCOMING EVENTS


MRO Europe
October 16 - 18, 2018 – Amsterdam


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November 20, 2018 – Gibson Hotel, Dublin, Ireland
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