Heathrow calls for revise of travel restrictions

New report from Heathrow have revealed passenger numbers remained 71 per cent down in August versus the same month pre-pandemic. The airport said ever-changing restrictions, expensive and unnecessary testing requirements and lack of a common approach across borders were behind the slump.

From being the busiest airport in Europe in 2019, Heathrow is now tenth as rivals including Schiphol, Paris and Frankfurt are all recovering at a much quicker pace.

The airport called on the government to remove the amber list and create a safe but simple two-tier system – a green list and red list, retaining hotel quarantine.

Fully vaccinated travellers should not be required to take a test, while those who are not vaccinated should continue to take a pre-departure and arrival test using lateral flow, following up with a PCR test if positive, the airport said.

As passenger numbers grow, Border Force must ensure they have adequate resources and processes in place to ensure travellers receive a warm welcome into the UK. Recent scenes of passengers waiting for hours to be processed through the UK border are “totally unacceptable,” a statement added.

Heathrow chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said: “The government has the tools to protect the international competitiveness which will boost the economic recovery and achieve its Global Britain ambitions.

“If ministers fail to take this opportunity to streamline the travel rules then the UK will fall further behind as trade and tourists will increasingly by-pass the UK.”

Airbus to create new aeroparts companies in France and Germany

Airbus has reaffirmed its intention to build a stronger aerostructures assembly value chain across its industrial system to its social partners, and considers aerostructures assembly as core to its business. Airbus presented its plans to create two integrated aerostructures assembly companies at the heart of its industrial system in order to reinforce its value stream management and prepare the company for its short- and long-term future.

As part of these plans, and upon successful completion of the ongoing social process, the new company in France would bring together the activities currently managed within Airbus in Saint-Nazaire and Nantes together with those of STELIA Aerospace worldwide. Another company in Germany would bring the activities of Stade and Structure Assembly of Hamburg together with those of Premium AEROTEC in Nordenham, Bremen and partly in Augsburg, while rebalancing activities towards the upper part of the value chain and reviewing its involvement in the manufacturing of detail parts.

These two new aerostructures assembly companies, both wholly owned by Airbus, would no longer be suppliers to Airbus but become integrated within the Airbus perimeter, simplifying both governance and interfaces in a new industrial setup. Their distinct status would also enable them to focus on their industry segment and be leaner and more agile, fostering competitiveness, innovation, and quality to the benefit of the Airbus programs of today and tomorrow.

Airbus also intends to create a new global player in the detail parts business, anchored in Germany. Born out of today’s Premium AEROTEC, this new entity, with its scale and advanced technologies, would be empowered to capitalize on the significant long-term growth prospects with Airbus as well as external customers, on both civil and military platforms.

In Spain, Airbus continues to work on solutions with its social partners to optimize the current industrial and aerostructures set-up in the Cádiz area in order to ensure its viability, resilience and competitiveness for the future.

Source: AviTrader

Boeing resumes 737 Max Production

Boeing has resumed production of the 737 MAX at the company’s Renton, Washington factory. The 737 program began building airplanes at a low rate as it implements more than a dozen initiatives focused on enhancing workplace safety and product quality. “We’ve been on a continuous journey to evolve our production system and make it even stronger,” said Walt Odisho, vice president and general manager of the 737 program. “These initiatives are the next step in creating the optimal build environment for the 737 MAX.” During the temporary suspension of production that began in January, mechanics and engineers collaborated to refine and standardize work packages in each position of the factory. New kitting processes will also ensure that employees have everything they need at their fingertips to build the airplane. “The steps we’ve taken in the factory will help drive our goal of 100 percent quality for our customers while supporting our ongoing commitment to workplace safety,” said Scott Stocker, vice president of 737 Manufacturing. The 737 program will gradually ramp up production this year.

Mitsubishi to get Bombardier CRJ by June 1

The final date has been set. Bombardier and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will close the transaction related to the acquisition of Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) program on 1 June, 2020.

In a statement , the Japanese company said that the program will begin operations right upon the purchase and will be operated under the new name of MHI RJ Aviation Group.

Also, the CRJ program package includes “the maintenance, support, refurbishment, marketing, and sales activities for the CRJ Series aircraft, along with the type certificate”.

Both companies confirmed the acquisition fact in June, 2019. With the CRJ program MHI expects to strengthen its existing commercial aircraft business, especially the development, production, sales and support of the Mitsubishi SpaceJet commercial aircraft family.

More details will be announced in the future.

Source: aviationvoice

Boeing 737 MAX: Production in Spotlight

Boeing has reached an agreement with Spirit AeroSystems, the 737 MAX parts supplier, on the production of 125 aircraft units in 2020.

The US planemaker had temporary ceased the production of 737 MAX aircraft before the coronavirus pandemic began spreading. The manufacturing process stopped in January, 2020. Later on, the level of uncertainty, as to when the making will resume, was increased by the global crisis provoked by the virus. The entire Boeing production was on a pause, up until the middle of April, when Boeing resumed production of its commercial aircraft.

As its statement suggested, among the programs waiting for the restart is also 737 MAX. The airframer even outlined lower 737 MAX production rates for 2020, and said that it gradually will increase the number up to 31 planes per month in 2021, if the situation allows.

Now the fact has been confirmed by Spirit AeroSystems, the supplier securing Boeing with almost 70 per cent of 737 MAX aircraft structure, including the entire fuselage, thrust reversers, engine pylons and wing components.

"Before the virus outbreak, it was planned to have 216 MAX frames manufactured . The current number, 125 units, is significantly lower, however, at least it secures Spirit with some certainty over the program’s continuity."

The specific date of production restart has not been announced yet. According to Bloomberg, Boeing plans to fully resume production at its Renton, Washington, plant in coming weeks.

The entire 737 MAX aircraft fleet was grounded back in March, 2019, following two deadly crashed which killed 346 people. The manufacturer has been working hard on 737 MAX software updates to re-certify the plane and lift it from the ground.

The process has already taken much longer than expected. Therefore, Boeing hopes to have its 737 MAX cleared for take-off this year.

Source: aviationvoice

Embraer to collaborate on technologies and solutions to combat COVID-19

Embraer has released that it is working in partnership with companies and research centers on technologies that can increase the availability of equipment and solutions to combat COVID-19 in Brazil.

The actions, developed jointly with Embraer's supply chain, include the manufacturing of parts for the ventilator and respirator industry, the replacement of imported components for ventilators, the development of high-efficiency filtration systems for transforming regular hospital beds into intensive care beds and studies for the development of simple, robust and portable respirators aimed at rapid implementation and availability.

A group of professionals has already been leading initiatives in support of a respirator factory in Brazil, with a plan to start the production of parts next week, in response to the emergency demand for this equipment. Embraer, in cooperation with partner organizations, has already completed the
technical and production capacity analysis required to meet the identified needs.

In partnership with the Albert Einstein Hospital, located in São Paulo, Brazil, Embraer is also working to provide technical support for the development of biological air filter systems for air-quality control, which can convert regular hospital beds into intensive care beds. Using highly
efficient filters for absorbing air particles, already utilized in air conditioning systems on aircraft, the objective is to provide this solution to hospitals with immediate needs.

Another work front is dedicated to analyzing the manufacturing of control valves and flow sensors for another respirator industry in the country, in addition to adapting an existing respirator model for use in combating COVID-19.

AvTourNet Group

Source: AviTrader

U.S. House investigation find fault with both FAA and Boeing for 737 MAX crashes

An investigative report produced by the U.S. House Transportation Committee into the fatal Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes involving the Boeing 737 MAX has found fault both with the way the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the plane’s design, and design failures on the Boeing side. 

The preliminary investigation classed the FAA’s certification of the aircraft “grossly insufficient” and that the agency had failed in its duty to identify critical safety problems. The 13-page report made it clear that: “The combination of these problems doomed the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flights,” while also stating that: Boeing’s 737 MAX design “was marred by technical design failures, lack of transparency with both regulators and customers, and efforts to obfuscate information about the operation of the aircraft.” 

The FAA said in a statement it welcomed the report’s observations and that lessons learned from the two fatal crashes “will be a springboard to an even greater level of safety. While the FAA’s certification processes are well-established and have consistently produced safe aircraft designs, we are a learning agency and welcome the scrutiny.” 

The report also showed that both the FAA and Boeing missed “multiple red flags and clear data points” in recommending that the 737 MAX should continue to fly after the Lion Air crash. The U.S. House panel also faulted Boeing for what it described as a “culture of concealment” in its failure to disclose information to airline pilots about the 737 MAX’s MCAS stall-prevention system which has been linked to both crashes, and that a key angle-of-attack cockpit alert was “inoperable on the majority of the 737 MAX fleet.” 

Separately, according to Reuters news agency, last Friday the FAA proposed fining Boeing US$19.7 million for allegedly installing equipment on hundreds of 737 aircraft containing sensors in heads-up displays that regulators had not approved for use.

Source: AviTrader

Aviation 2019: Major Happenings

The year of 2019 has brought the aviation industry a number of tough challenges, indeed. Issues related to aviation safety, decreasing trust in the most reliable aircraft manufacturers and regulatory authorities, a large number of aviation companies going bankrupt, etc.

2019 was rich in various events. Although it is natural for a human being to, first of all, remember the negative matters which closely correlate with such names as Thomas Cook, Jet Airways, Joon, Germania, WOW air, Boeing 737 MAX, Ethiopian Airlines, etc. Time to change stereotypes.

2019 has also brought a number of new “first times”, new technologies, new airports, new aircraft programs and maiden take-offs.

With the year of 2019 nearing to an end, let’s review the most impressive achievements and major positive events that happened during this year across the industry.

Tests for World’s Longest Commercial Flight

The first ever flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft took only 12 seconds. In 2019, therefore, Qantas set the goal to launch the longest commercial flight connecting the farthest points of the globe . If this is made reality, the flight will take 20+ hours.

With this ambition in mind, the carrier has completed three tests of the flight to study pilots’, cabin crews’ and passengers’ experience flying such long distances. Also, in the last month of the year Qantas announced the preferred choice of the aircraft: Airbus A350-1000.

Long-Awaited Openings of New Airports in China and Singapore

It was a year of huge openings in the airport’s sphere. In April, 2019, it was Singapore’s long-awaited Jewel Changi Airport which officially opened its gates for travellers. It is a multi-use complex designed to connect three of Changi Airport’s four terminals. Not to be omitted the fact that in 2019 Singapore’s Changi Airport was voted the best in the world.

Meanwhile, in September, 2019, after 45 months of construction, Beijing Daxing International Airport has finally opened its doors to the flying public. The new hub, already nicknamed ‘starfish’ (because of its design), is expected to lessen the pressure put on the Beijing Capital International Airport.

Electrification – Entirely New Page in Aviation History

Aviation is a relatively young industry, counting just a bit over a one hundred years. Nevertheless, the pace of its development is rather astonishing. From a service only for the wealthiest in the beginning of the 20th century, up to inevitably important part of every day life for masses.

In 2019, therefore, the new chapter of the aviation book has been opened with the first flight of a fully-electric commercial aircraft

. It was the DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver, the first all-electric seaplane operated by Harbour Air, that carried six passengers in Vancouver, Canada, in December, 2019.

Worth highlighting the fact that aviation training could be soon also turning electric. In 2019 Norway’s Pilot Flight Academy announced that it is aiming to provide fully-electric aviation education for pilots beginning 2021.

The age of electric planes has just began, however, in the attempts to make the industry more sustainable , it will not take centuries to release more and more all-electric aircraft.

Aviation Makers Turning Green. Target – Zero Emissions

Environmental pollution is one of the central topics globally. Especially in aviation, which represents around two percent of emissions of global carbon dioxide (CO2) , that is roughly equivalent to the overall emissions of Germany.

Thus, the year 2019 was critically important due to environmental reasons. A number of airlines started reporting its emissions, modernising fleets to become more sustainable, changing ordinary aviation fuel into biofuel.

For example, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines together with SkyNRG, global market leader for sustainable aviation fuel, announced it will develop Europe’s first dedicated plant for the production of
sustainable aviation fuel.

Furthermore, in 2019 Norway has set an ambitious goal for its aviation industry: emission-free domestic aviation by 2040.

Turbulent Year on Aircraft Market
For the aircraft market, 2019 has been quite the year. From halt of production to groundings to new programs and first take-offs.

The beginning of the year was marked with the announcement about the end of production of world’s biggest commercial airliner – Airbus A380

In 2021 Airbus will built the last A380 completing its backlog for the type and that would be the finish line for this plane.

Of course, grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft has greatly shaken the clear sky within the industry. Multiple troubles, struggling airlines, suffering passengers, however, some new planes have also got into the air.

Among these are Airbus A319neo, the last of the A320neo variants, which completed its maiden flight powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines in April, 2019, and Embraer E175-E2 , which made its inaugural flight in December, 2019.

Apart from the fact that Boeing had one of the most terrible years in its history, there were two secret debuts of brand new planes . Right after the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 Boeing held an internal event aimed at the presentation of its long-awaited Boeing 777X for the company’s employees. Meanwhile in November, the planemaker debuted another aircraft of the 737 MAX family–737 MAX 10.

Also this year, two new commercial aircraft programs have been launched. On the first day of Paris Air Show 2019, Airbus officially unveiled its long-awaited new long-range A321XLR. It was one of the most anticipated events of the year.

Along with a new plane for longer passenger flights, innovation has been also introduced in the regional aircraft market, as well. In October, 2019, ATR announced about that it was approved to develop a brand new STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft: ATR 42-600S.
2020 Next

These are only several major happenings from across the industry for the last 12 months of the decade. At this point, what is the most anticipated event in aviation in 2020?

Airbus A319neo
Airbus A321XLR
ATR 42-600S
Beijing Daxing Airport
Boeing 737 MAX 10
Boeing 777X
Changi Airport
Embraer A175-E2
environment
Harbour Air
sustainable aviation

Source: aviationvoice.com

AviaTour Conference 2019

The AviaTour Conference is an annual event geared towards bridging the gap between aviation and tourism for sustainable socio-economic development

This event will bring together experts and industry stakeholders in the aviation and tourism industry (Airlines, hotels, travel and tours, ground handling services, airports, road transportation etc)

The theme for 2019 is investing in the Aviation and tourism sector for sustainable socioeconomic development

The AviaTour Conference 2019 will take place between 2nd and 4th October, 2019 at the Best Western Plus Atlantic Hotel, Takoradi-Ghana

Come, network and learn how to package Ghana and sell to the world.

This three day event is packed with a tour, welcome reception, gala and awards night, masterclass, insightful panel discussions and great speakers and delegates to network with.

*Click here and Register now*!!!

Asian Aviation Prospect: A Look to Eastern Asia Aviation Part two.

Asian Aviation Prospect: A Look to Eastern Asia Aviation Part two.

Asia Aviation continues to play a formidible role in the World of Aviation. 

Let's look into Eastern Asia Aviation (Hong Kong, South Korea) Part two.

Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s aviation market is dominated by Cathay Pacific. Although Hong Kong Airlines seeks to mount significant competition against Cathay Pacific, they lack the solid financial footing and funding (at least publicly) to significantly compete against Cathay.

Cathay Pacific keeps growing. Between separating long-haul and low-cost operations to acquiring HK Express, Cathay still has a major hold over Hong Kong. However, by 2050, Hong Kong Airlines could also be a formidable force of its own. Already, they operate long-haul services to major destinations. However, they will need to offer additional connections and partners to bring more passengers on-board their planes.

Hong Kong is already a well-known destination. With both high-end business travelers and leisure travelers, Cathay Pacific seems well on its way to staying afloat. However, if Cathay Pacific does have to contend with the rise of low-cost carriers in East Asia, things could become trickier in future.

South Korea
South Korea is home to two major airlines: Asiana Airlines and Korean Air. Despite an East Asian boom, South Korean passengers haven’t grown to the size of Japanese or Chinese numbers. On the other hand, South Korea remains well-connected globally.

Asiana is struggling financially and cutting their operations . Time will tell how this turns out for Asiana. In a best case scenario, their cost-cutting mechanism could turn things around. On the other hand, they may end up like Etihad, stripping back services to maintain profitability, or go completely bust like Jet Airways.

Korean Air, Asiana’s main rival, has avoided negative headlines about their financials. While Asiana cuts routes, Korean Air has expanded to new destinations– including some lesser-known places like Croatia.

As the national flag carrier, Korean Air is likely to outlast Asiana Airlines. While they have a long-haul network that ranges from quirky destinations to high-demand cities, Korean Air will likely remain flying as Seoul remains a hub for modern-day technology and tourism. With ties to large, global corporations, Korean Air will have a strong base of premium passengers looking to go to and from Seoul.

The rise of low-cost carriers
Where there are passengers wanting to travel, there is competition. Among carriers, the competition ranges from who offers the best onboard product to who offers the best fares. On the high-end, where airlines make most of their money, they compete with onboard hard and soft products. At the other end of the spectrum, the price-conscious passengers have led to the rise of new competition: low-cost carriers.

From Japan Airlines, we have “ ZIPAIR “, a to-be-launched long-haul low-cost carrier. Meanwhile, ANA went with a more traditional short-haul low-cost carrier in Peach.

In recent years, low-cost carriers have sprung up across East Asia. However, they have not grown to the likes of Ryanair and Southwest. That isn’t to say that low-cost carriers won’t catch on like they have in other markets. However, with China as a major growing market, China seems like the most likely contender to grow a major low-cost carrier.

The Chinese aviation sector is heavily marketed, which could prove to be a hindrance to the rise of low-cost carriers. However, the liberalization of air markets is a major trend in the aviation industry. This could be a major change in China’s future. The results could be beneficial for passengers who receive more options and connections on more carriers.

Overall
East Asia is a fascinating market. Coupled with high-demand tech cities and growing tourism, the market will continue to evolve in years to come. As markets grow, some airlines may inevitably grow too fast and go out of business, while others will thrive and could become global competitors.

Asian Aviation Future Prospects: A look to Eastern Asia Aviation Part One

Asian Aviation Future Prospects: A look to Eastern Asia Aviation  Part One


Asia is the largest continent in the world, both in land mass and people. With a population of over four billion, it is also one of the most important aviation markets. In this three-part series, we will examine the future of Asian aviation through different geographic realms.

According to the latest edition of IATA’s 20-Year Air Passenger Forecast​, Asia Pacific will be the biggest driver of demand from 2015 to 2035 with more than half of the new passenger traffic coming from the region. China will replace the US as the world’s largest aviation market (defined by traffic to, from and within the country) around 2024. India will displace the UK for third place in 2025, while Indonesia and Japan will be ranked 5th and 7th respectively.

Of the five fastest-growing markets in terms of additional passengers per year over the forecast period, four will be from Asia.


First, let’s take a look at East Asia(Japan & China)

The aviation industry in East Asia has recorded significant growth over the past few years. The total seat capacity of Eastern Asia airlines experienced double-digit growth in the four-year period of 2009-2013. It has established itself as one of the world’s fastest growing aviation markets and has huge potential for more rapid growth.

East Asian aviation market
China is by far the largest aviation market in East Asia. In a distant second place comes Japan, followed closely by South Korea. The East Asian market was not always like this before.

Japan
Japan was the most important aviation market in East Asia less than 20 years ago. Combined, Japanese carriers transported over 109 million passengers. The two major carriers in Japan are ANA and Japan Airlines.


ANA
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the largest airline in Japan based on fleet size. In 2016, ANA carried over 52 million passengers.


Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines is the second largest airline in Japan by fleet size. Something they are not very well known for, but should be, is having some of the most comfortable 787s out there. Some of Japan Airlines’ 787-8s only seat 161 passengers. Japan Airlines also chose passenger comfort over profitability and went with a 2-4-2 configuration in economy.

The market in Japan Aviation.
Overall, the problem with Japan is that passenger numbers aren’t booming as they are in China. Passengers tend to fly with carriers from their home countries. In nearly all cases, Japanese tourists prefer to fly with Japanese carriers because it makes the travel experience easier.

Due to language barriers, many travelers prefer to fly with their home carriers since it is easier to understand them. Many lost-in-translation events can happen while traveling and language barriers can always detract from an experience.

Both Japan Airlines and ANA have alliance partners with whom they can closely cooperate.


China
On the other hand, China is a huge source of passengers. With the largest population in the world in a rapidly industrializing country, there is a significant push to increase passenger numbers. With three major international airlines, China will definitely be a major aviation force in 2050.

Air China
Flag carrier Air China operates its largest hub at Beijing’s Capital International Airport. With over 400 aircraft in its fleet and another 100+ on order, Air China is preparing for massive growth. Once Beijing’s second airport opens, there will be a significant increase in airline capacity. By effectively using these additional slots, Air China can maintain their competitive edge in China’s capital. As the flag carrier, undoubtedly there will be a significant push from the Chinese government to keep Air China successful afloat.


In the future, Air China will have to contend with competition once Beijing’s new airport opens for business. However, the carrier currently benefits from a near monopoly on long-haul routes out of Beijing. These lucrative routes bring plenty of profits and passengers on Air China metal. For example, Air China is the only Chinese airline to serve long-haul destinations to Star Alliance hubs like Johannesburg, Frankfurt, and Washington-Dulles.

China Southern
China Southern is China’s largest airline by fleet size. Boasting their expectations for a 2,000-plus fleet , China Southern is well on its way to this goal with over 600 aircraft in service and more than 200 on order.

However, what China Southern needs to reconcile is Guangzhou. Though a major hub for China Southern, Guangzhou has a distinct lack of foreign carriers operating there. Notably absent are European carriers like British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France and KLM, as well as American Airlines, and Qantas.

Guangzhou is a major destination in China, however even as the best commercial city, major foreign airlines don’t seem to find a reason to operate there. Some of the decision is no doubt politically motivated, but, even China Southern has its sight on expansion from Beijing Daxing.

Despite this, Guangzhou still lacks notable connections to destinations like Chicago, Dallas, and Munich. Furthermore, while Beijing and Shanghai have a major tourist draw, Guangzhou lacks this particular attraction. Much of it, in fact, is lost to nearby Cathay Pacific hub in Hong Kong.

China Eastern
China Eastern is China’s second largest airline by fleet size. With close to 550 aircraft in operation, China Eastern maintains Shanghai as a major hub. While China Eastern doesn’t have the same ambitious plans as China Southern, they still will be a force to reckon with in 2050.

China Southern, as of now, doesn’t have any major international partners. Though they’ve recently become closer with American Airlines, China Eastern and Delta have solidified their strategic partnership. This puts China Eastern ahead of Air China and China Southern.

Inaugurating new routes and building up partnerships takes years. For airlines, it is important to gain passenger recognition and trust with new routes. As Delta becomes closer with China Eastern, they put themselves ahead of the competition with access to mainland Chinese tourists. The same is true for China Southern. Connections from interior destinations lacking long-haul flights to the United States will be a huge market

Part two: Looking into Eastern Asia Aviation (Hong Kong and South Korea)

The Decline Of First Class Vs The Rise Of Premium Economy

The Decline Of First Class Vs The Rise Of Premium Economy

As first class declines around the world, we’re simultaneously seeing premium economy expanding to fill the gap. We investigate how the two are related, and whether this is good news for travelers.

As two more airlines drop first class from their aircraft, it seems there is no stopping the juggernaut of change at the pointy end of the plane.

However, there’s something interesting going on a bit further back too, as many airlines are adding more premium economy seats to the mix. What’s going on, and does it make any sense? And is the rise of PE and the loss of first a good thing for passengers, or not?

First class is out

If anywhere in the world was going to keep first class a bit longer, it would have been Asia. But now it seems even the Asian carriers are failing to see the benefit of an elite cabin.

Both Korean Air and Asiana have recently announced they are eliminating first from a number of their routes. From June,
Korean Air will scrap their first class cabin from 27 of their international routes. Asiana will stop offering first on their A380s from September, instead planning to sell the same seats at a huge markdown as what they’re calling ‘business suites’.

Heard of business suites somewhere before? That’d be on Malaysia Airlines , who last year rebranded their first class offering as an uprated business class instead, perhaps in response to legislation preventing government officials from travelling in first.

As we already know, many other airlines are falling out of love with first. The main problem is that the business class product has become so good, there’s very little reason left for passengers to pay more. Consequently, airlines are continuing to make business class the best it can be, while simultaneously dropping first from their planes.

Premium economy is in

Premium economy is something quite different to the ‘economy plus’ option you might have come across. Economy plus usually sells the odd seats which just happen to have a bit more legroom, such as bulkhead or exit row seats, for a markup. Everything else remains the same. Same cabin, same food, same service.

Premium economy has its own cabin, separate from the hustle and bustle of economy. It has better seats, more legroom, and in some cases other perks such as priority boarding or a better inflight menu.

American Airlines added premium economy to 100 aircraft last year, making it the airline with the most PE capacity in the US. Delta plan to add Premium Select to all widebody flights by 2021. And for the first time ever, Emirates passengers will have the option of premium economy from next year onwards.

The rise of premium economy is no big surprise. Airlines are making huge profits on these seats, selling them for as much as double the cost of a regular economy seat, and without giving up as much cabin space as a business class product does.

As first class falls off the front of the plane, those who would have flown first will fly business, and those who would have flown business have a choice of either flying the new and improved business product or saving some pennies and choosing premium economy. By the same token, those who would normally fly economy have a choice too, of spending a little bit more and going premium.

Because the jump between economy and premium economy is far less than that between economy and business.

Is it good for passengers?

That’s up for debate, and depends on your perspective, but for the majority of passengers we’d say yes. Premium economy offers a taste of the high life without needing to take out a second mortgage for your trip. Those who miss the exclusivity of first will still be able to find it in some places. If not, well the new business class suites are, in many cases, better than first used to be.

Taking that idea a step further, isn’t the current premium economy class almost as good as old school business class used to be? So, if business is on a par with yesteryears first, and PE is up there with previous iterations of business, has anything really changed at all?

Aside of the name change, the biggest change is in price. Air fares are spiraling downwards, as tough competition forces airlines to price low in order to fill their planes. In fact, premium economy is the
same price on many routes as economy was a few years ago.

The end result? A better seat and service for the same price. That’s got to be a massive win for passengers, right?

Istanbul New Airport Ready to Become World’s Busiest

Istanbul Airport officially
opened its doors to travellers with two runways, stretching 3,750 and 4,100 meters long, going into service. Once fully completed, it is expected to become world’s largest airport.

It is projected to handle up to 90 million passengers by 2021, with further growth plans up to 200 million.

For the comparison, the present world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, handled 103.9 million passengers in 2017.

Thus, the new Istanbul Airport is set to deal with a passenger traffic twice as big as in Atlanta last year.

Reuters report that the flagship carrier, Turkish Airlines, now says only some flights to Ankara, Izmir and Antalya, as well as international flights to northern Cyprus and Azerbaijan, will be using the new airport. Its other routes will remain at Ataturk for the rest of this year.

During the opening ceremony,
Turkey’s president Erdogan highlighted the importance of the new aviation hub not only for the country itself but also for the whole region. Also, the president told that the airport will impact European air space as it will serve a number of intercontinental flights.

All the works at the airport are expected to be finished until 2028.

Kaman K-MAX “Aerial Truck” Cargo Helicopter With Two Crossing Blades

The Kaman K-MAX is the world's first helicopter specifically designed and certified for external lift operations. The external cargo load helicopter was
developed by Kaman Aircraft and designed to lift a payload of over 6,000 pounds . That is more than the helicopter's empty weight and almost twice as much as the "Bell 205" helicopters.

It uses a unique single-engine double-rotor system in which two intermeshing rotors (synchropter) cross each other. This eliminates the need for a tail rotor found in conventional helicopters that is designed to hold it straight and to prevent it from spinning around in the opposite direction of the main rotor blades.

The K-MAXs two opposite-spinning and crossing rotors ensures a high lift performance in hot and high conditions than conventional helicopter. The K-MAX can be parked in a narrow area by aligning the blades sideways instead of crossed.

It uses an average of 85 gallons or 321.7L of fuel per hour during lift operations and cost $1,200 (N436k) per flight hour to operate.

It has a maximum airspeed of 185 km/h with an external load and 148.2 km/h without it . The 7 - 8.5 million dollars helicopter is used by firefighters, construction firms
and the military.

A self-flying or pilot-less K-MAX version was jointly developed by Lockheed Martin and Kaman.

It was designed to be a life saver as it can take supplies and equipment to battle locations (especially in Afghanistan with over 600 unmanned missions and over more than 700 flight hours) and also bring loads back to the main base, thereby reducing the amount of ground convoys.

Toni Ukachukwu appointed AviaDev’s Africa director

Aviation Development (AviaDev) today announced the appointment of Toni Ukachukwu as the new Africa Aviation Director of AviaDev.

Ukachukwu is the Founder/Chief Executive of Aviators Africa, a resource integrated media and marketing company servicing the Africa’s travel and tourism sectors.

He currently function as the
Editor-In-Chief of the company’s premium quarterly publication, the Aviators Africa Magazine, that solely reports the activities in the Africa’s aviation industry.

He is also the Nigeria Regional Manager of Africa Business Travel Association (ABTA) where he is overseeing the affairs of the association in the region.

Toni co-founded Aviators Africa Academy, a social enterprise aimed at inspiring the next Africa’s generation of aviation and aerospace professionals towards
mitigating the anticipated manpower shortfall in Africa aviation industry based on Boeing and Airbus 20 year outlooks, with Jon Howell.

He has been leading Aviators Africa Academy team to organise outreaches, workshops, and conferences across African cities (Cape Town South Africa; Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria, and
Kigali, Rwanda).

As the Africa Director, Toni will lead AviaDev’s commercial strategy, with responsibility for revenues and operations across advertising and other areas.

He will report to Jon Howell, Chief Executive of AviaDev, and will work closely with Juraj Toth, AviaDev’s Director, Europe.

According to Jon Howell, Toni Ukachukwu brings unrivalled passion for Africa aviation.

Take-off of Nigeria Air to be announced soon.

The Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has said that the Federal Government would soon announce the take-off of the suspended national carrier project, Nigeria Air.

“The Minister who made the declaration while receiving the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to Nigeria, Fahad Al Taffaq in his office, said the suspension was only in the interim and that a new pronouncement would soon be made on the project,” said a statement by James Odaudu, Deputy Director, Media and Public Affairs to the office of the minister.

According to the Minister, it is
inconceivable that Nigeria, with its population of over 180 million people, would not be a major player in the aviation industry, noting that even the country’s geographical location has made it a natural hub for air transportation and ancillary businesses.

Nigeria and United Arab Emirates, Sirika said, have had a long standing relationship politically and business wise, especially in the aviation sector, and hoped that the new envoy will use his presence in the country to further boost these relationships.

He also harped on the need for Emirates Airlines to increase its daily flights out of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to compliment the support and patronage that Nigerians have given it and asserted that government was doing all that was necessary to provide the conducive environment that airlines need to thrive.

Ambassador Fahad Al Taffaq had earlier told the Minister that he was at the Ministry to reaffirm his country’s continued cooperation with Nigeria in the area of Aviation where both countries have enjoyed a long-standing relationship.

According to him, it was in view of such a relationship that the United Arab Emirates has approved the extension of it’s tourist visa to six months while on a visit to the country, meaning that Nigerian tourists can stay for up to six months.

He also informed the Aviation Minister that plans have been completed for the opening of a visa office in Lagos in order to mitigate the hardship of coming to Abuja for visa processing.

The Ambassador promised to maintain the strong political and economic affinity between Nigeria and his country, a situation that is underscored by the number of Nigerians living and working in the United Arab Emirates which he put at over 20 thousand.

Also the earlier scheduled stakeholders’ forum to take place on November 1 has been moved to November 8 owing to overlapping engagement in the industry Odaudu said, “This is to inform aviation stakeholders and the general public that the 5th Aviation Stakeholders Forum scheduled for Thursday November 1st, 2018 has been postponed.

“The postponement is necessitated by a conflict of events involving major players in the industry. The Forum is now scheduled to hold on Thursday November 8th, 2018 at the Nigeria Air Force Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja at 10am”, he said.

Hydroplaning

As the wheel rolls along a wet
runway, it is constantly squeezing the water from the tread. This squeezing action generates water pressures which can lift portions of the wheel off the runway and reduce the amount of friction the wheel can develop.

This action is called hydroplaning, so technically, whenever a Wheel is moving on a wet surface, it is hydroplaning.

This results in wheel-to-ground
friction which can be low at high speeds and improve as speed reduces.

Water and snow have a great impact on landing performance. The landing distances are based on dry conditions and test pilot skills. Regardless of how good the conditions are, you should not
attempt to land at a runway that is as short as the published takeoff and landing distances.

Any water (heavy rain showers), snow or slush can and will have an adverse effect on the landing distance and the danger of hydroplaning (with no wheel braking and loss of directional control) is very real and has led to loss of life in the past already.

There are three types of
hydroplaning : Viscous, Dynamic and Reverted rubber

Viscous hydroplaning occurs on all wet runways and is a
technical term used to describe the normal slipperiness or lubricating action of the the water - While viscous hydroplaning does reduce the friction it is not to such a low level that the wheel cannot be spun up shortly after touchdown to initiate the antiskid system.

Viscous hydroplaning is the most commonly encountered cause of low friction on wet runways, and occurrences are often mistaken for dynamic hydroplaning.

How To Prevent Viscous Hydroplaning Land on a grooved runway, if possible.

1. Don't land fast.
2. Keep your wheels inflated.  Under-inflated wheels  hydroplane easier than properly inflated ones.
3. Use back pressure and aerodynamic braking to slow  down, and use light brake  pressure.

Dynamic Hydroplaning.

Dynamic hydroplaning is the
technical term for what is
commonly called hydroplaning.

During total dynamic hydroplaning the wheels  lifts off the pavement and rides on a wedge of water like a water ski. Because the conditions required to initiate and sustain it are extreme, it is a phenomenon that is rarely encountered.

However, when dynamic
hydroplaning occurs it lifts the
Wheels completely off the runway and causes such a substantial loss of tire friction that wheel spin up may not occur.

The conditions required to cause dynamic hydroplaning are high speed, standing water and poor surface macrotexture. These conditions must continue without interruption to keep the wheels on its plane. In the absence of any of these conditions, dynamic hydroplaning will either not occur at all or will affect only a portion of the wheel footprint.

How To Prevent Dynamic Hydroplaning

1. Don't land fast on a wet runway. Dynamic hydroplaning happens at
about 8.6 times the square root of your Wheel pressure. For a Cessna 172 with 42 PSI tires, that's about 56 knots.

2. Keep your Wheel inflated. Under-inflated Wheels hydroplane easier than properly inflated ones.

3. Use back pressure and aerodynamic braking to slow down. The more weight you have on your Wheels, the better.

Reverted rubber hydroplaning
can occur whenever a locked wheel is skidded along a very wet or icy runway for a time long enough to generate frictional heat in the footprint area.

Reverted rubber hydroplaning can be initiated at any speed above about 20 knots and results in Wheel  friction levels comparable to that of icy runways.

How To Prevent Reverted Rubber Hydroplaning

1. Use light brake pressure, and use aerodynamic braking to keep maximum weight on your landing gear.

2. Use light brake pressure, and never lock up your brakes on landing.

Note: Use these anti-hydroplaning techniques the next time you're landing in the rain, and you'll handle any wet runway like a pro.

Cape Town International Airport named Africa's leading airport

Cape Town International Airport named Africa’s leading airport

Cape Town International Airport was named Africa’s Leading Airport for the second consecutive year at the 25th World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony held at the Durban International Convention Centre last week.

The gala awards ceremony was attended by senior executives from major travel companies, operators and destinations. Representatives of CTIA, Yolisa Mlawuti, Key Account Manager and Razack Rawoot, Senior Manager: Finance were in Durban to receive the award on behalf of the airport.

“Cape Town International Airport is honoured to once again receive this very important accolade. Being named Africa’s Leading Airport for the second year is extremely gratifying and reinforces the hard work and commitment to excellence demonstrated at this airport in the past 12 months,” said Cape Town International
Airport Senior Manager: Corporate Affairs Deidre Davids Recognized across the globe as the ultimate independently assessed travel
accolade, the World Travel Awards are voted for by travel and tourism professionals and consumers worldwide.

The awards serve to recognise, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.

Airports Company South Africa is delighted to be named among the travel sector’s top performers of 2018, with both O.R Tambo International and Cape Town International airports also being nominated for the World’s Leading Airport 2018, which will be announced at the World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony on 1 December 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Cape Town remains a firm destination of choice for global travellers and over the
past few years Cape Town International Airport has shown sustained growth in passenger numbers with a 5.3% increase year-on-year in 2017. Growth in international passengers has been in double digits for the past few years. The airport exceeded the 10 million passenger-per-year milestone for the first time in December 2016, which repeated again in December 2017 when passenger numbers significantly exceeded this mark.

Through partnerships such as Western Cape Air Access the airport has seen 13 new routes and 18 route expansions since 2015. October marks the start of the peak season where its seasonal carriers start up their summer schedules. Cape Town International has already welcomed Edelweiss which connects the city to Zurich, Condor which connects the city to Frankfurt and Lufthansa with its Munich- to-Cape Town frequencies in operation.

“We are anticipating yet another bumper peak season in Cape Town and our team is prepped and ready to welcome all of  our visitors to the fairest Cape and to facilitate their movement through the airport en route to their holiday destinations,” added Davids.

A Look At The First Hyperloop Dubbed An "Airplane"Without Wings

A Look At The First Hyperloop
Dubbed An "Airplane" Without
Wings

A full-size Hyperloop capsule designed to carry passengers at 1,000 kilometres per hour has been unveiled.

It was unveiled in Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain, very close to where it was constructed at the aerospace facilities of Airtificial, a partner of HyperloopTT.

Dubbed an "airplane without wings," the Hyperloop's aim is to permanently disrupt how we travel long distances. A journey from Los Angeles to Las Vegas can now take nothing more than 20 minutes.

At a length of 32 metres, the Hyperloop capsule would form part of a longer train that could in record time speed across a
country.

The first full-scale Hyperloop capsule is made out of dual-layer smart composite material and is named "Quintero One".

Responding to questions concerning safety, the HyperloopTT team stressed the capsule's security. They also laid emphasis on the new material it's made
from and the protective double-layer.

"Today we have unveiled a new type of transportation vessel built with an industry high percentage of composite, which makes the Hyperloop capsule perhaps the safest transportation vehicle
in the world," said Rafael Contreras, the company's co-founder and chairman.

"In just five years we have solved and improved upon all of the technology needed for Hyperloop with our new levitation system, vacuum pumps, batteries, and smart composites," CEO Dirk Ahlborn added.

"This capsule will be a part of one of the most efficient transportation systems ever made."

Biggest Passenger Aircraft, Airbus A380, flies safely into KIA Terminal 3

Ghanaian pilot, Captain Solomon Quainoo has safely landed the biggest passenger aircraft Emirate A380 in Accra ahead of the commemoration of the $250 million newly built Terminal at KIA.

Captain Solomon Quainoo and his assistant pilot are seen in the cockpit of the biggest passenger aircraft in the world, Emirate A380 after the safe landing today, October 2nd, 2018

The commemoration is expected to be graced by political gurus, aviation authorities, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as well as top officials of Emirate Airlines.

Photo Credit: Hans_Tourist