Daily2018-02-20

Friday, February 22nd, 2019

LATEST NEWS

Lufthansa Technik expands further into Hungary

Lufthansa Technik AG has confirmed its plans to open a new repair and overhaul facility for aircraft engine parts in Miskolc, Hungary. The operational site will extend to 20,000 square meters of production space, greatly benefiting customers of Lufthansa Technik´s Engine Parts & Accessories Repair (EPAR) network. Once fully operational, the facility will employ up to 400 members of staff and will encompass state-of-the-art machinery for procedures such as cleaning, thermal spraying and heat treatment of engine parts, but also an extensive training and qualification program.

Construction at the new site is planned to begin in 2021. Training and qualification courses for its employees will already begin in 2019 and will partly take place at the existing sites of the EPAR network in Germany, Ireland, Malaysia, China and the USA.

"As the fourth-largest city in Hungary, Miskolc offers a great number of highly-qualified technical experts and moreover a good infrastructure", said Philip Mende, Head of Engine Parts and Mobile Engine Services at Lufthansa Technik.  "We look forward to building Lufthansa Technik Miskolc together and adding the new colleagues to our worldwide network."

AJW Group

MIAT Mongolian Airlines Extends PBH Contract with AJW Group

AJW Group has extended its power-by-hour (PBH) contract with MIAT Mongolian Airlines.

This extension marks the addition of the carrier’s Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to the contract. The existing contract with MIAT Mongolian Airlines includes full PBH support for their Boeing 737 Next-Generation aircraft and the airline’s Boeing 767 aircraft.

AJW will be positioning a dedicated main base kit inventory solution locally, specific to MIAT’s MAX aircraft, to meet their immediate operational needs in Mongolia. In addition, the extended programme will give MIAT access to AJW's stock of Boeing spares, conveniently sited for their global route networks across Europe, Central and Eastern Asia.

Elix Aviation Capital Delivers ATR 42-500 to Hevilift

Elix Aviation Capital has delivered one ATR 42-500, MSN 639, on lease to Hevilift.

Through this delivery, Elix further supports Hevilift’s fleet growth. This ATR 42-500 aircraft will be operated in service of the resource industry across challenging remote areas in Papua New Guinea.

Revima

Chorus Aviation Capital to Acquire Portfolio of Six Aircraft

Chorus Aviation Capital has acquired a portfolio of six aircraft with leases attached. The portfolio consists of two ATR72-600s on lease to Azul of Brazil, and four Q400s on lease to two other existing customers of Chorus Aviation Capital.

With these acquisitions, Chorus’ suite of leased regional aircraft (inclusive of nine transactions pending completion) has reached 40 aircraft, comprising 28 turboprops and 12 regional jets valued at approximately US $850 million.

Brazilian Navy Orders Three Multi-Role H135s from Airbus

The Brazilian Navy has ordered three H135 light twin-engine helicopters to be operated by the 1st General Purpose Helicopter Squadron (HU-1).

The aircraft will be dedicated to a wide range of missions such as special operations, transport of troops and freight, naval inspection, search and rescue and medical evacuation. Two of these aircraft will be equipped with aeromedical kits. Other equipment will include a cargo hook, an emergency flotation system, a winch, as well as weather radar.

The aircraft, which will replace the current light twin-engine AS355s, could also carry out missions in the frame of the Brazilian Antarctic Programme in the near future. The contract includes a comprehensive HCare support and services package.

ePlane

Etihad Airways to Increase Flights to London during April

Etihad Airways will increase its flights from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow, from three to up to four daily services, to meet peak demand during the month of April.

Commencing April 5, 2019, the flights will be operated by a two-class Boeing 787-9, featuring Etihad Airways’ next-generation Business and Economy cabins, configured with 299 seats - 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats. 

FL Technics Signs Exclusive Partnership with Italian Aircraft Seating and Interior Company JHAS

FL Technics, a global provider of integrated aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services has concluded an exclusive partnership with JHAS, an Italian aircraft seating and interior company.

“JHAS provides different, tailor-made solutions for aircraft interiors. This is not usual in aviation industry as we are looking for a breakthrough out of standardized seating environment. We are glad that JHAS chose us as their exclusive partners as this is a great opportunity for FL Technics also, giving us an upper-hand in our services,” says Zilvinas Lapinskas, CEO at FL Technics.

Since the beginning of this cooperation, FL Technics will be an official representative of JHAS in
Europe, Africa, Middle East, CIS and Russian regions, as well as Asia Pacific region. FL Technics will act as exclusive seller and promoter of economy, business and first class seats so to cover all the typology of products for aircraft cabin interiors classes.

Kellstrom

Willis Lease and FLYdocs Spearheading Development of Blockchain Powered Aviation Records Platform

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (WLFC) and FLYdocs have joined forces to develop a pilot programme demonstrating the use of blockchain technology on an open source data sharing platform for aircraft, engine and component records.

The two powerhouses are engaging in what they anticipate will be widely regarded as a pioneering move in the digital transformation of the aviation industry.

Blockchain has already established a reputation in the financial sector as the core technology underpinning virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, and this initiative between WLFC and FLYdocs seeks to explore similar benefits within aviation.

The cutting-edge development attempts to be the first real use of a blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) solution for managing commercial aircraft, engines and component transitions.

98% of Ryanair's Belgian Pilots Vote For Collective Labour Agreement

Ryanair has confirmed that its directly employed Pilots based in Belgium have voted by a majority of 98% in favour of a CLA (collective labour agreement), governing pay and conditions for the next 4 years.

The agreement was negotiated between Ryanair and the unions BeCa, CNE-CSC and LBC-NVK, to cover all of Ryanair’s directly employed Pilots in Belgium.

AFIKLM

Lockheed looks to seduce Indian government with offer of locally made F-21 fighter jet

In a bold move to try and secure an estimated US$15 billion-plus order for 114 fighter jets from the Indian government, Lockheed Martin has unveiled its proposal to upgrade the previously offered F-16 and replace it with an F-21 configured specifically for its needs. Announcing its plans at Aero India 2019 in Bengalaru, Lockheed Martin has made it clear it would relocate its F-16 production plant in Fort Worth, Texas, to India and work alongside India’s Tata Advanced Systems to produce the fighter jet. This would also be seen as a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make-in-India’ plan to build a domestic military industrial base and to create jobs.

Lockheed Martin is in direct competition with Boeing’s F/A-18, Saab’s Gripen, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and a Russian aircraft for the air force order. Originally Lockheed Martin had proposed the F-16 but while the Indian government was looking to upgrade its ageing fleet of Soviet-era fighter jets, it felt that the F-16 was not a sufficiently modern aircraft. “The F-21
is different, inside and out,” Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said in a statement.

According to Reuters, a statement issued by the company indicated that: “Lockheed Martin
also sees the F21 as India’s gateway to the stealth F-35 fighter. “The F-21 has common components and learning from Lockheed Martin’s 5th Generation F-22 and F-35 and will share a common supply chain on a variety of components,” adding that production in India would create thousands of jobs for Indian industry as well as support hundreds of U.S.-based Lockheed Martin engineering, program management and customer support positions.

Inflite The Jet Centre acquires Excellence Aviation

Inflite The Jet Centre, part of the Inflite group of companies, based at London Stansted Airport has bought Challenger and Global Express specialist Excellence Aviation Services. The purchase includes Excellence Aviation Services, its Part 145 organisation and CAMO, as well as Excellence Aviation, its Part NCC aircraft management business.

With fresh investment and a dedicated home within Inflite’s 250,000 ft² hangar space, Excellence Aviation Services’ line station activity will expand to offer full base maintenance at Stansted for Challenger and Global Express aircraft. Inflite, meanwhile, will continue to grow its Embraer executive jet MRO, together with its BBJ work.

While London Stansted will be EAS’s new HQ effective immediately, it will continue to offer line maintenance at London Oxford, Luton, Stansted and Farnborough Airports. Its 12 staff, to be joined shortly by two more licensed engineers, will further strengthen Inflite’s 60-strong MRO team.

EAS Founder Colin Solley and partner Mike Smith will remain with the business and play a significant role in shaping the group’s growth plans, said Christoffer Creutz, Inflite The Jet Centre’s Managing Director, who joined from Lufthansa Technik two and half years ago.

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