MOMENT

Air Côte d’Ivoire boosts its passenger experience with Moment’s W-IFE solution

Air Côte d’Ivoire selects the Flymingo Box, Moment’s portable W-IFE system, to provide on-board entertainment. The service is available since December 24th, 2021 on selected aircraft and will be extended in 2022 to the company’s entire fleet, consisting of 9 aircraft (A320neo, A320 and Q400).

Moment has signed an agreement with Air Côte d’Ivoire to provide a premium cabin experience, relying on the deployment of the portable entertainment system (W-IFE), Flymingo Box. Passengers will now benefit from a digital platform designed to meet their onboard needs and offer maximum comfort.

Since its creation in 2012, Air Côte d’Ivoire is the flag carrier of Ivory Coast, serving the five biggest Ivorian airports, a large number of destinations in West and Central Africa. South Africa will be covered by May 2022.

Air Côte d’Ivoire plays a major role in the African airline industry. The airline regularly assesses sector-related issues such as fuel consumption, safety, GSM connectivity and Wi-Fi on board and is known to adopt innovative technologies in order to create added value and strengthen its position as a competitive player. In line with this strategy, the company wants to develop passenger services by offering a quality entertainment solution on all of its flights.

Air Côte d’Ivoire has chosen Moment and its Flymingo Box server, which guarantees smooth access to a wide range of content, including films, music, press, radio, podcasts, digital books and unparalleled streaming speed. Easily installed in the cabin of an aircraft and requiring no intervention from the crew, the Flymingo Box differentiates itself with its ease of use and adaptability. This powerful device allows rapid distribution throughout the cabin of a single-aisle aircraft.

“We are delighted with this partnership with Moment which allows the deployment of a digital entertainment system dedicated to our passengers. We are committed to being a forward-looking airline and Moment supports us in this process” said Laurent Loukou, CEO of Air Côte d’Ivoire. “Among all the entertainment possibilities available on the market, Moment’s solution met the best of our expectations. Offering a broad range of content and services, it can evolve according to our needs to become a genuine point of contact on board. We were also thrilled with Moment uptime and the simplicity of its system both in installation and passenger use. A significant differentiating point”.

“We are pleased to make our expertise available to Air Côte d’Ivoire and to collaborate with the company to equip its entire fleet with our Flymingo Box solution”, adds Dieudonné Kamaté, Sales Director at Moment. “The Flymingo Box’s deployment model and technology are perfectly suited to the strategy of the company and to its aircraft. As an agile solution, it offers passengers a wide variety of content and allows the company to increase on-board satisfaction and loyalty.”

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ANUVU

Anuvu Grows in 2021 and Prepares for More Expansion in 2022 

• The company looks back at innovations that shaped entertainment and connectivity in the global mobility market.

Anuvu, a provider of high-speed satellite connectivity and entertainment solutions for demanding worldwide mobility markets, reflects on its growth in 2021. Last year, Anuvu’s commitment to innovation yielded an expanded client base, a diversified technology portfolio and, most recently, new growth capital to support long-term strategy.

Formerly Global Eagle, the Anuvu brand launched in May 2021, reflecting its longtime focus on next-generation passenger experiences for the aviation and maritime industries. To drive long-term growth and innovation, the company appointed a new board of directors, added to its executive leadership team and increased its financial backing from blue-chip investors.

Building Future-Focused Solutions in Connectivity and Media & Content for Mobility Markets 

In connectivity, Anuvu sharpened its focus on mobility markets by selling its legacy land business to Marlink AS in March. Anuvu announced its plan to launch a high-performance MicroGEO satellite constellation, delivering dedicated bandwidth to aviation and maritime customers. The partnership with satellite manufacturer Astranis includes two satellites to launch in early 2023, with six more to follow.

Additionally, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) granted approval for a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the installation of Anuvu’s internally developed Airconnect Global Ku inflight connectivity (IFC) system. This allowed Anuvu to install core components

In media and content, Anuvu reinvented inflight entertainment (IFE) with a best-in-class digital end-to-end supply chain and the launch of two new solutions for media and content customers: Iris and Explore. Iris, a cost-effective and turnkey IFE subscription service, delivers high-quality content to passengers and simplicity to airlines by offering a wide variety of premium content and bespoke customer solutions. Additionally, Explore is a user-friendly and comprehensive online tool that offers airlines a modern and efficient alternative to the industry’s legacy approach to content and media selection.

Anuvu was also at the leading edge of high-definition inflight entertainment delivery, driving the technology that made Cathay Pacific the first airline in the world to offer ultra-high resolution “4K” inflight entertainment screens.

Elevating the Passenger Experience 

Anuvu elevates its airline and maritime partners’ entertainment options to enhance passenger and guest experiences with diverse and unique entertainment options. The company’s content team curates top-tier content from local and worldwide markets, while simultaneously creating new entertainment verticals that satisfy passengers’ evolving tastes and preferences.

In aviation, Anuvu expanded its non-traditional video content through a partnership with Complex Networks, one of the largest youth culture brands. Anuvu also expanded inflight game options, in partnership with the multinational entertainment company Entertainment One (eOne), and secured the exclusive worldwide rights to the critically acclaimed film “Hi, Mom” (outside mainland China) and award-winning independent films “Minari” and “First Cow.”

Anuvu’s airline clients dominated both KAYAK’s Travel Awards and the 2021 SkyTrax World Airline Awards, where they were recognized for excellence in inflight entertainment. Anuvu was honored this year with renewed contracts from many of those award-winning airlines, including United Airlines, Air New Zealand, Hawaiian Airlines, Gulf Air, Cathay Pacific, Vietnam Airlines, Flydubai and El Al, amongst others. Additionally, in 2021 Anuvu proudly partnered with new inflight entertainment clients, including Breeze Airways, Air Belgium, Corsair, Asiana Airlines and Royal Brunei Airlines.

Looking to the Future 

Anuvu, at the forefront of advanced connectivity, is looking to lead the industry in providing flexible and scalable solutions through a hybrid network comprised of GEO, MicroGEO and LEO satellites. The company recently secured commitment for $50 million of growth capital that will allow Anuvu to focus on the expansion of the Anuvu Constellation ground and space networks, including its world-leading network management and data platforms and advanced mobility-focused antennas. With additional board authorization for new equity, the company plans to continue to make investments across inflight entertainment and connectivity to bring to life the industry’s vision for a more modern and connected passenger experience.

Existing and future clients can look forward to Anuvu providing not only flexible satellite capacity built for mobility, without the inherent compromises of traditional geostationary designs, but also cutting-edge entertainment and wireless streaming solutions to elevate the travel experience and keep people connected when they’re away from home.

For more information please visit https://www.anuvu.com/.

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LATITUDE AERO

Latitude Aero, an aircraft seating overhaul provider, recently announced the hiring of Emma Reno as Marketing Coordinator. In this role, Reno will be researching and analyzing the latest marketing trends and helping develop innovative marketing strategies.

Reno is a recent graduate of Appalachian State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. As an original member of the Latitude family upon launch, she says re-joining the company after college is a natural fit.

“From working at Latitude part-time in 2015 to now, I have watched this company continue to grow and evolve, and I cannot wait to see where 2022 will take us,” says Reno. “I am excited to be a part of such a progressive company, and I am confident that my skills and knowledge will be a great asset to Latitude’s Marketing Team.”

As Marketing Coordinator, Reno will coordinate with clients, draft marketing proposals, execute marketing strategies, analyze social media insights, and manage social media contests and campaigns.  She will also play a significant role in creating, implementing, and analyzing email campaigns and launching new social media channels.

Kelvin Boyette, President & CEO, expressed enthusiasm about how the growth of the marketing team. “We are thrilled to have Emma officially join the Latitude family,” says Boyette.  “She has come full circle from her beginning as a part-time seating technician when the company was founded to her new full-time position post-university.  Her integrated marketing and graphic design experience will allow us to capitalize on the strength of the Latitude brand as we continue to innovate and grow.”

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BOEING

Allegiant Air Orders Up to 100 737 MAX Jets

• – Growing U.S. carrier places first direct Boeing order for 50 737 jets, with 50 options
• Order of smallest model 737-7 and high-capacity 737-8-200 expected to reduce carrier’s fuel use by 20%

Boeing and Allegiant Air announced an order for 50 737 MAX jets, with options for 50 additional airplanes. In Boeing’s first U.S. ultra-low cost carrier (ULCC) deal, Allegiant selected two models – the 737-7 and 737-8-200 – in the 737 MAX family, which provide the lowest seat-mile costs for a single-aisle airplane and high-dispatch reliability.

“Our approach to fleet has always been opportunistic, and this exciting transaction with Boeing is no exception,” said Maurice J. Gallagher, Jr., Allegiant chairman and CEO. “While the heart of our strategy continues to center on previously-owned aircraft, the infusion of up to 100 direct-from-the-manufacturer 737s will bring numerous benefits for the future – including flexibility for capacity growth and aircraft retirements, significant environmental benefits, and modern configuration and cabin features our customers will appreciate.”

With commonality and improved fuel efficiency, the 737 MAX family enables airlines to optimize their fleets across a broad range of missions. The 737-7 provides low-operating costs that enable carriers to open new routes with less economic risk, and the larger 737-8-200 offers added revenue potential and is right-sized for ULCC market expansion. Compared to Allegiant’s current fleet, the new 737 models will reduce fuel use and carbon emissions by 20%.

“We are thrilled that Allegiant has selected Boeing and the 737 MAX as they position themselves for future growth, improved efficiency and operational cost performance.” said Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO. “This deal further validates the economics of the 737 MAX family in the ULCC market and we’re excited to stand alongside Allegiant as they integrate these new airplanes into their fleet.”

Boeing and Allegiant will partner on entry-into-service support, enabling a smooth transition as the carrier adds the 737 into its operation. Allegiant will also utilize a suite of Boeing Global Services digital tools to further enhance operational efficiency. Allegiant currently operates a fleet of 108 Airbus A319 and A320 airplanes.

Atlas Air Worldwide Purchases Four Boeing 777 Freighters

• Global cargo carrier’s first direct purchase of 777 Freighter will grow its fleet to 18 777s
• Adding capacity to meet growing e-commerce and express cargo demand
• Order caps record year for Boeing freighters

Boeing and Atlas Air Worldwide announced an order for four 777 Freighters. The order, placed in December, rounds out a record-setting 2021 for Boeing’s freighter family including new-production and converted models. Boeing has forecast that the global freighter fleet will grow by 70% in the next 20 years, with freight carriers such as Atlas Air supporting a rapidly expanding global e-commerce business and evolving supply chains

“We are excited to expand our fleet and service offerings for our existing and prospective customers with these four new 777s. With the best team in the industry as well as our focus on innovation and prudent fleet management, Atlas is serving the evolving needs of the global supply chain and delivering value for our customers,” said John W. Dietrich, Atlas Air Worldwide president and CEO.

Boeing’s market-leading 777 Freighter is the world’s largest, longest-range and most capable twin-engine freighter, with the lowest trip cost and highest reliability of any large freighter. With a range of 4,970 nmi (9,200km), the 777 Freighter can carry a maximum revenue payload of 102 tonnes (224,900 lb), while reducing fuel use and CO2 emissions compared to prior airplanes. This capability and exceptional efficiency translate into significant savings for cargo operators, with fewer stops and associated landing fees.

“We are honored that Atlas Air Worldwide, as a global leader in airfreight, has once again selected to grow with Boeing and our freighter family. These new 777 Freighters provide Atlas with more capacity, fuel efficiency and operational flexibility for its customers,” said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. “As air cargo demand continues to grow, we’re confident that the efficiency, capability and flexibility of our freighter family will meet customer needs now and in the future.”

Through November, Boeing had surpassed the previous freighter record including 80 orders for new production freighters and more than 80 orders for converted models. The company will announce full-year 2021 orders and deliveries on January 11.

Atlas Air currently has 14 777s and is the world’s largest operator of 747 Freighters, with 49 in its fleet. These two models, in particular, are designed to partner seamlessly, enabling operators to transfer tall and outsized cargo loads easily between the two on 3-meter (10-foot) tall pallets. The cargo and passenger carrier also operates a fleet of 767 and 737 airplanes.

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OTHER NEWS

• We have watched this video on quantum computing a number of times, and frankly, it looks like Q/C is just random computation solutions. Further, we wonder how random information has any realistic values because of the “random” approach to answers. But, we guess, it can? Why Is Quantum Computing So Hard to Explain | Quanta Magazine
• If you wonder what the biggest threats to humanity in 2022 will be, here is an answer … The Question of the Year: What Are the Biggest Threats to Humanity in 2022?

 The IFExpress Team wishes you a happy and healthy holiday. And we wanted to take the opportunity to thank you, our readers and advertisers, for your continued support during the past year –  Patricia Wiseman

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INMARSAT

Inmarsat ORCHESTRA, the future network for global mobility and government communications, achieved its first milestone in space with the successful activation of a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite payload.

The LEO satellite is testing new concepts and system configurations for ORCHESTRA’s proposed LEO constellation, which will seamlessly integrate with geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites, and a terrestrial 5G network, to deliver a uniquely powerful global communications solution for mobility and government customers.

ORCHESTRA is the first global network of its kind; creating a global, multi-dimensional, dynamic mesh network that will redefine connectivity at scale with the highest capacity for mobility worldwide and at hot spots across the world. It will deliver the fastest average speeds and the lowest average latency of any network, planned or in existence.

While details of the in-orbit testing remain confidential, Inmarsat has confirmed that the LEO demonstration satellite payload is testing concepts for LEO-to-ground and LEO-to-GEO communications, which are key steps in delivering the unique capabilities proposed for ORCHESTRA. As the LEO satellite features a reprogrammable payload, additional concepts will be tested over the coming months.

Rajeev Suri, CEO of Inmarsat, said: “Customers have expressed great excitement about Inmarsat’s ORCHESTRA network and we are making fast progress to bring that network to reality. Development of the terrestrial network is proceeding well and we are now moving forward with live tests of ORCHESTRA’s LEO layer.

“Our vision for ORCHESTRA is a network that uses the right technology for the right purpose. We are not beholden to a single approach and believe that the best way to meet customer needs is a multidimensional approach that includes GEO, LEO and terrestrial 5G in a dynamic mesh that brings capacity to where it is needed in the most efficient way possible. Today’s announcement is yet another testament to the fact that Inmarsat is a company with commercial momentum and technology leadership.”

Yasrine Ibnyahya, Inmarsat’s Senior Director, Advanced Concepts and Technologies, said: “Our demonstration LEO satellite payload is designed to create new technologies and services that will transform the use of satellite communications by our mobility and government customers worldwide. Using software defined radio payloads in LEO, we are able to test, refine, retest and validate as many concepts as we need. It is a quick, agile and highly economic approach that enables us to meet our ambitious targets for rolling out key components for Inmarsat ORCHESTRA.”

More Inmarsat News:

Inmarsat has been crowned ‘World’s Best Inflight internet Service Provider’ for the fifth consecutive year at the World Travel Tech Awards in recognition of the company’s market-leading GX Aviation and European Aviation Network (EAN).

The prestigious accolade from the sister event of the World Travel Awards was announced yesterday following an extensive year-long search for the world’s top travel technology brands, which attracted a record number of votes by industry professionals and members of the public from across the globe.

Inmarsat triumphed after experiencing its best ever year for passenger usage of its next-generation inflight broadband solutions in comparison to before the pandemic. The trend aligns with the results of Inmarsat’s 2021 Passenger Confidence Tracker, the largest global survey of its kind since the pandemic began, which found that digital solutions that keep passengers connected and minimize their contact with cabin crew and fellow passengers can go a long way in boosting confidence. In addition, 41% of the 10,000 respondents believed the ability to browse the internet, shop online, stream videos, enjoy social media and more during flights had increased even further in importance after the pandemic.

GX Aviation, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, has been activated on more than 550 aircraft to date, with approximately 1,000 additional aircraft in the order book. It has been selected by more than 35 airlines worldwide, including Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, AirAsia, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic and most recently, SAUDIA. EAN has also recorded a milestone year after crossing 270 aircraft activations, with more than 40 million passengers enjoying access to the service since it launched with British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, all part of the International Airlines Group (IAG).

Philippe Carette, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “Global aviation has faced many unprecedented challenges over the past two years. As one of the industry’s leading suppliers, Inmarsat has been working closer than ever with our airline customers as they navigate towards a profitable and sustainable recovery. We are proud that our best-in-class solutions are empowering many airlines to enhance their onboard experience and differentiate themselves in a highly competitive market, especially at a time when passenger expectations around inflight connectivity are continuing to evolve and amplify.

“The fact that we have received this accolade five years in a row following a vote by passengers, airlines and others from the travel industry is especially gratifying. It reinforces our position as a trusted market leader and is a testament to the exemplary work of our employees and partners during the last year.”

Inmarsat recently unveiled plans for ORCHESTRA, the communications network of the future, which will bring existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellites together with low earth orbit satellites (LEO) and terrestrial 5G to form an integrated, high-performance solution, unmatched by any existing or planned competitor offering. ORCHESTRA allows capacity to be boosted in high-density areas such as at airports, eliminating congested network ‘hot spots’ and ensuring the connectivity needs of aviation customers continue to be met well into the future, with capacity scaled directly to match their requirements.

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OTHER NEWS

• Ever heard of Apex.AI? Apex.AI, based in California and Germany, has raised $74M to date and the company’s Apex.OS software development kit is a toolkit for OEMs seeking to install complex AI software on their own vehicles. Just thought you might find the name interesting.
• Keep your ears open for any plane performance or entertainment computer hacking by a new cybersecurity threat called “Log4j”. It is going to be a big deal on the ground for years to come! Log4j zero-day flaw: What you need to know and how to protect yourself | ZDNet And, here is what Tripwire sees as help. Addressing Log4j2 Vulnerabilities: How Tripwire Can Help and Vaccine For Apache Log4j Vulnerability Also Out Amidst Active Exploits

Retired Publisher’s Note: We needed support for a Fluke device and after the company helped us out we wanted to mention to our readers what great support they have, and what a great product the temp/humidity Fluke 971 measurement device is. We also wanted to personally thank Robert Pokomy and Steven Clark for their engineering support. Here is the message: If you need test and measurement electronics, their company products are really incredible…and as an electrical engineer, I know! – Terry Wiseman

Royal Brunei Airlines Selects Anuvu as IFE Content Service Provider

Anuvu announces its partnership with Royal Brunei Airlines, serving as the company’s Content Service Provider (CSP) starting February 2022.

Passengers traveling with Royal Brunei Airlines, a boutique airline based out of Brunei, Asia and operating flights between Australia, England, Japan and China, can now watch a wide range of inflight entertainment (IFE) provided by Anuvu’s Iris platform, a cost-effective and convenient IFE subscription service for airlines. The partnership will offer a wide variety of premium entertainment, including bespoke customer solutions, to fit airline budgets and boost passenger experiences, meeting travelers’ high expectations for onboard entertainment.

“2022 promises to usher in a whole new set of challenges and opportunities for our industry. I am glad that we have chosen Anuvu as our new IFE partner,” said Sabirin Hj Abdul Hamid, acting CEO, Royal Brunei Airlines. “We selected Anuvu to enhance our passenger experience through an innovative IFE presentation and extensive library as we look forward to relaunch our scheduled network after almost two years of minimum operations due to the COVID19 travel restrictions. Behind the scenes, our team will appreciate the ease and flexibility of Iris.”

“We are delighted to begin servicing such a prestigious airline as Royal Brunei, which has been recognized time and time again for its impeccable service and passenger experience,” said Estibaliz Asiain, Anuvu SVP, Commercial Media & Content. “We look forward to supporting the team in continuing to take their inflight experience to new heights through innovative technology and media and content solutions.”

Iris is a monthly service for aviation clients to select best-in-class content for passengers. It is an efficient and flexible solution that enables airlines to have a clear fixed pricing structure, inclusive to airlines of all sizes. Passengers have access to Hollywood and international movies, award-winning TV and next-generation featured content.

More News From Anuvu: 

• Anuvu Modernizes Inflight Entertainment Selection with Explore
•  Innovative online media and content library disrupts legacy practices to enable airlines to deliver a superior passenger experience with ease.

Anuvu launches Explore, a user-friendly and comprehensive online library that simplifies choosing inflight entertainment content. The innovative solution delivers to airlines a modern and efficient alternative to the industry’s legacy approach to content and media selection.

For decades, inflight entertainment selection has been a complex and time-intensive process centered around manually searching lengthy PDF attachments, PowerPoints and Excel spreadsheets to find and select the right content mix. With Explore, Anuvu elevates content selection into the digital age with an easy-to-use, cloud-based website.

“We are thrilled to offer a simple, informative and technology-driven solution for airlines when it comes to viewing available titles,” said Anuvu’s Terri Davies, SVP Content & Media Services. “Choosing content should not be a time-consuming and tedious process, and with Explore, airlines will be able to easily provide their passengers the very best media and content.”

Explore offers airlines full visibility into their content options via an online platform, accessible 24/7, to discover and easily filter through recommended and available titles. Through the intuitive dashboard, airlines can view essential details and metadata for each title, including trailers, synopses, cast and crew, available languages, and IMDB scores.

Explore pairs with Anuvu’s innovative subscription service Iris, which offers airlines a tailored and pre-curated variety of content. Together, Explore and Iris modernize inflight entertainment in a way that eases the selection burden for airlines, builds content based on an airline’s specific needs, maximizes return-on investment, and delivers to passengers a memorable inflight entertainment experience.

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PANASONIC

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) has appointed Chris VandenBerg as Chief Engineer (Software).

In this role, Chris will be responsible for delivering the company’s highly complex, end-to-end software that redefines how airlines interact with their passengers onboard the aircraft. He will report to CTO, Joe Bentley, and will lead a multi-disciplined and talented team of highly skilled individuals across Panasonic Avionics’ global footprint. Chris will also act as the company’s primary technical contact with its customers.

Bentley said, “Our customers are always looking for new ways to deliver an enhanced passenger experience, generate revenue, increase passenger engagement and improve operational efficiencies. Robust and reliable software will be the foundation for the kinds of products and solutions that help them achieve their organizational goals. Chris has a wealth of experience in software design and development and is highly knowledgeable in delivering a final production product from its concept phase. I am delighted to welcome him back to Panasonic Avionics where he will again be a major asset to our team.”

Chris has over 25 years of experience in software programming, hardware design, and system architecture. He re-joins Panasonic Avionics from Safran Passenger Innovations, where he was Technical Fellow – Head of Software Architecture from 2019, managing a team of software architectures and developers.

Chris brings 14 years of experience at Panasonic Avionics, having joined as Principal Software Engineer in 2004 and progressed to become CTO, Global Communications in 2016. During this time, he managed engineering teams in the company’s satellite communications division and designed the company’s Global IPTV system, including its first generation of IP back-haul and up-link distributions.

Chris VandenBerg said, “As an award-winning provider of in-flight entertainment and connectivity, Panasonic Avionics is a company I am very proud to be a part of, and I look forward to working with my fellow colleagues to enhance the standards of software engineering excellence that we deliver to our airline customers.”

Panasonic Avionics has led the industry in providing new ways to increase passenger engagement through its growing portfolio of digital solutions. Its immersive ArcTM 3D map product has been adopted by over 20 airlines since its debut at Aircraft Interiors in 2019. Its Marketplace solution, launched with Singapore airlines earlier this year, enables airlines to create turn-key eCommerce experiences by expanding their storefront retail and duty-free offerings onboard, with the ability to present dynamic inventory and initiate promotions throughout the customer journey.

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THALES

• American Airlines’ new A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 fleets will be equipped with Thales’ latest AVANT solution.
• American Airlines will be the first customer to fly with Thales’ new line of high-performance Optiq displays, the industry’s first 4K high dynamic range (HDR) seatback screens enhanced with Samsung QLED proprietary technology.
• The airline’s A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft are anticipated to enter service in 2023.

American Airlines has selected Thales’ latest AVANT inflight entertainment (IFE) solution to equip its new A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft for transcontinental and international travel.

American’s aircraft will be the launch customer flying with Thales’ new line of Optiq displays, the industry’s first 4K high dynamic range (HDR) seatback screens enhanced with Samsung QLED proprietary technology. Optiq provides passengers with the best monitor experience in the air, with an unrivaled picture quality featuring more than 1 billion colors.

The system is capable of Bluetooth connection at each seat, which allows passengers to pair their wireless headphones to the system.

Premium Class seats will enjoy 17-inch displays accompanied with a 5-inch touchscreen handset offering a true second-screen experience. Premium Economy and Economy Class will feature 13.3-inch displays and 11.6-inch displays, respectively.

AVANT will be integrated with American’s high-speed connectivity system to provide digital services and real-time health monitoring & reporting.

American has also selected Thales’ high-power charging solutions, which will give passengers access to both USB type C 60-watt and AC outlets at each seat in all classes. This solution is designed to meet the specific power needs of passengers, now and in the future.

“American Airlines has trusted Thales as an inflight entertainment supplier for more than a decade and now to equip its new A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft with the latest AVANT IFE solution. As air travel begins to recover, Thales continues to invest in digital innovations that create value for our customers. We’re truly excited to provide these solutions to American and its customers.” Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice-President Avionics, Thales

Also From Thales:

Thales has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Moog ground-based navigation aids business located in Salt Lake City, Utah. – Moog navigation aid offerings complement Thales’ family of navigation aids.Upon acquisition closing, in addition to fixed navigation aids, Thales will gain “man-portable” technology, further supporting contingency air operations as well as evolving military mobility needs. The post-acquisition integration will augment Thales U.S.-based engineering, industrial and technology capabilities.

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PEGASUS AIRLINE

Pegasus Airlines has set its 2030 interim target for carbon emissions; the airline aims to reduce flight-related carbon (CO2) emissions per unit passenger kilometre (RPK) by 20% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels.

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OTHER NEWS

Women in Aviation has selected the 2022 inductees for its International Pioneer Hall of Fame. These women will be honored during the 33rd Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, held March 17-19, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. The 2022 Pioneer Hall of Fame inductees are: Cornelia Clark Fort, Capt. Rosemary Bryant Mariner, U.S. Navy, and Col. Peggy A. Phillips, (retired) of the U.S. Air Force.
Congrats Ladies!

SMARTSKY

Flying Colours Corp. the international maintenance, repair, overhaul, and completions company, signed an agreement with North Carolina-based SmartSky Networks to act as a sales and installation facility for SmartSky’s air-to-ground connectivity equipment.

Sales and installation of the advanced antennas and aircraft base radio will be available through Flying Colours Corp.’ Peterborough, ON. and St. Louis, MO. locations. The continued strengthening of the business aviation sector is driving greater use of connected services for avionics, aircraft health monitoring, and cabin WiFi. This is increasing the demand for inflight connectivity that is dependable, immediate, and secure, and necessitating a wider variety of options for owners and operators.

“Every time we talk to a customer about refurbishment, or completions, we have the connectivity conversation. We already have extensive experience upgrading and installing connectivity equipment, and regularly advise on the most suitable options for a customer’s mission profile. Adding the SmartSky equipment to our roster brings yet another dimension to our offering as it expands the choice for those seeking an unparalleled connectivity experience that supports both the cabin, and the aircraft, in North America,” says Kevin Kliethermes, director of sales, Flying Colours Corp.

The SmartSky Networks’ flagship equipment consists of two sleek antennas and a small aircraft base radio (ABR). The antenna and radio design has been optimized for business aviation use by providing high throughput to and from the aircraft – a key requirement for today’s cloud-native applications and services. Flying Colours Corp. will be providing the entire shipset through SmartSky’s latest Early Arrival promotion, and already has equipment available for immediate installation on many STC’d aircraft types.

“We are pleased to add Flying Colours Corp. to our community of partners and share in their commitment to delivering the highest quality and performance for business aviation’s connectivity needs. Their track record of delivering exceptional aftermarket services, developing STC’s, and installing innovative systems has established Flying Colours Corp. as a sought-after provider for business aviation.”

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PANASONIC

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) has been named the winner of the 2021 Popular Science Best of What’s New Award in its Aerospace category.

Panasonic Avionics won the award for its eX1 in-flight entertainment (IFE) solution for narrowbody aircraft, featuring Bluetooth audio technology which enables easy connections between wireless headphones and seatback IFE screens. This solution was launched earlier this year on United Airlines’ new Boeing 737 MAX fleet and has also debuted with Cathay Pacific Airways.

Panasonic Avionics’ eX1 IFE Bluetooth solution is available at every seat, across both premium and economy cabins. The company’s unique approach optimizes emitted Bluetooth signal levels to each passenger’s personal living space, significantly reducing the chance of interference or cross-connections between seats. With this new product enhancements, customers can use their personal Bluetooth headphones which has become an increasingly popular trend in the consumer space.

Bluetooth audio is an integral part of Panasonic Avionics’ X Series and NEXT Series IFE systems. Incorporating the latest advancements in antenna design and radio wave forming, Panasonic Avionics’ NEXT Series IFE employs a patented industry leading solution to deliver an augmented cinematic experience in every cabin class.

Popular Science’s Best of What’s New is a definitive list of up to 100 of the most incredible and innovative technologies and products from the past year, with this year being its 34th edition. To win, a product or technology must represent a significant step forward in its category.

To pick the winners, Popular Science’s editors vet thousands of candidates – ranging from feats of engineering to hyper-intelligent software, with an entry process designed to ensure that they learn about the maximum number of technologies and products.

Ken Sain, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, says: “For over thirty years, these prestigious awards from Popular Science have captured some of the greatest steps forward in innovation and development. Panasonic Avionics is honored to join this select group.”

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INMARSAT

Inmarsat celebrated the fifth anniversary of GX Aviation, its most successful passenger inflight broadband service to date. Since entering commercial service in 2016, the award-winning solution has been selected by more than 35 airlines and activated on over 550 aircraft, with approximately 1,000 additional aircraft in the order book.

Powered by Global Xpress (GX), GX Aviation has transformed the airline passenger experience, offering reliable, consistent and high-speed infight connectivity on par with mobile Wi-Fi on the ground. It unlocks a host of new ancillary revenue streams for airlines and ensures they meet rising expectations from passengers to stay connected, browse the internet, stream video and audio, enjoy social media, shop online and more while on a flight.

Millions of passengers have enjoyed access to GX Aviation over the years, with major airline customers including Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, AirAsia, Eurowings, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Philippine Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. This impressive list continues to grow, with installations underway or planned with existing and new customers, including SAUDIA, as announced at the Dubai Airshow last month.

This latest milestone for GX Aviation comes at a critical time for the aviation industry, with the pandemic having accelerated passenger demand for digital inflight experiences. Inmarsat’s 2021 Passenger Confidence Tracker, the largest and most comprehensive global survey of its kind since the pandemic began, found that digital solutions that keep passengers connected and minimize their contact with cabin crew and fellow passengers can go a long way in boosting confidence. In addition, out of the 10,000 respondents, 41% believed inflight Wi-Fi had further increased in importance after the pandemic.

Philippe Carette, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “GX Aviation has transformed the global inflight broadband market, offering unprecedented performance that has been truly embraced by airlines and their passengers. We celebrate its fifth anniversary with our world-class partner ecosystem, including industry-leading distributors such as Safran, SITA, Thales, Collins Aerospace and Honeywell.”

“Each of these companies has a relentless focus on providing the best possible onboard experience, so airlines can meet evolving passenger needs and maximize the vast commercial possibilities of inflight connectivity. Together, we have established GX Aviation as our most successful passenger broadband service and Inmarsat is investing more than ever to cement its leadership for decades to come.”

The GX network currently consists of five Ka-band satellites and Inmarsat’s technology roadmap will offer a number of major enhancements. Seven further satellites are set to launch by 2024, starting with the first Inmarsat-6, I-6 F1, in December 2021. This is the most sophisticated commercial communications satellite ever built and will be followed by four additional satellites in geostationary orbit – adding speed, capacity and resilience – and two in highly elliptical orbit, enabling the world’s only commercial mobile broadband service for aircraft flying in higher elevations and across the Arctic.

However, GX is more than just a global satellite network, it is a complete end-to-end solution and Inmarsat has been equally ambitious in developing its ground stations, hardware, software and cybersecurity framework. This includes a next-generation terminal developed with GDC Advanced Technology, featuring GDC’s dual modem manager (MODMAN), with components by Kontron, together with a proven, reliable and high-performance flat panel antenna by ThinKom. Following a range of technology assessments and test flights, the powerful new terminal has demonstrated its ability to deliver the highest levels of connectivity, even over the world’s busiest airspaces.

And More …

Inmarsat, announced that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved and certified an advanced, next-generation terminal that will optimize further the performance of its market-leading GX Aviation inflight broadband solution.

The recently-awarded Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) authorizes the powerful new Falcon 300 terminal to be installed on Boeing 737 aircraft, marking a significant milestone for the lightweight, low-drag solution. Developed with GDC Advanced Technology, a leader in engineering and technical services, modifications and electronic systems, the terminal includes GDC’s dual modem manager (MODMAN), with components by Kontron, together with a proven, reliable flat panel antenna by ThinKom.

The certification was obtained under GDC’s Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program from its facility in Fort Worth, Texas. STCs for additional aircraft types are now underway, in addition to linefit plans for Boeing and Airbus airframes, reinforcing Falcon 300’s suitability for a wide range of fleets.

Demand for inflight connectivity has soared as passengers start returning to the skies after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Inmarsat’s recently released 2021 Passenger Confidence Tracker, the largest and most comprehensive global survey of its kind since the pandemic began, 41% of respondents believe that having Wi-Fi on their flights is even more important now than pre-COVID. Wi-Fi allows them to stay connected with friends and family and supports a touch-free environment.

To meet evolving passenger demands, airlines around the world can benefit from the ultra-high performance capabilities of the new terminal. Available today, it was selected recently by SAUDIA, the national airline of Saudi Arabia, as part of an agreement for GX Aviation to be installed and activated onboard its upcoming fleet of 35 Airbus A321neo and Airbus A321XLR aircraft.

In addition, the terminal is also available as part of Inmarsat’s transformational new GX+ North America connectivity solution, which seamlessly integrates the extensive worldwide coverage and resilience of Inmarsat’s Global Xpress High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) network with the unrivalled capacity of Hughes’ JUPITER™ HTS constellation across North America. This brings unprecedented capacity, speed and reliability to North American airlines and their passengers, who will enjoy unconstrained bandwidth activities on flights, even when flying at full capacity over the busiest airport hubs.

And More News:

Inmarsat mobile satellite communications, and SAUDIA, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, reinforced their new inflight connectivity partnership at the APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) EXPO 2021 in Long Beach, California. A celebration and gift exchange was hosted at Inmarsat Aviation’s stand, where its President Philippe Carette welcomed a senior delegation from SAUDIA, including the airline’s CEO Captain Ibrahim S. Koshy.

It follows the recent selection of Inmarsat’s award-winning GX Aviation inflight broadband solution and OneFi passenger experience platform for SAUDIA’s upcoming fleet of 35 Airbus A321neo and A321XLR aircraft, marking the Middle East’s first major airline connectivity agreement since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The combination of GX Aviation and OneFi will enable SAUDIA to provide a world-class digital experience for passengers onboard the aircraft, with the first installation expected in late 2022.

More Inmarsat News:

Inmarsat is working on a UK Space Agency-funded test project with the European Space Agency, alongside British partners Goonhilly Earth Station Limited and GMVNSL Limited, to deliver the first UK-generated satellite navigation (satnav) signal. The project provides a potential platform for the UK to enhance its capabilities in the Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) domain post-Brexit.

Repurposing a transponder from the Inmarsat-3 F5 (I-3 F5) satellite, the test project – UK Space Based Augmentation System or UKSBAS – will provide an overlay signal to augment the United States Global Positioning System (US GPS) satellite navigation system. This can refine the precision of the signal from a few meters to a few centimeters in accuracy.

UKSBAS will provide a basis to assess its future development into an operational capability to support safety-critical applications such as aircraft approaching and landing at airports or navigating ships through narrow channels, especially at night and in poor weather conditions. Goonhilly will provide the uplink for the system from Cornwall and software from GMVNSL, based in Nottingham, will generate the ground-based navigation signal. This is a similar system to that already in use in Australia and New Zealand, supported by Inmarsat. UKSBAS will be the first UK-generated national satnav signal.

This project could be crucial for UK users who need accurate, high-integrity navigation capabilities to enable their operations, initially covering aviation and maritime operations but with potential extension into rail and other land vehicle applications. For example, UKSBAS will be International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards-compliant.

SAUDIA will be GX Aviation’s launch customer in Saudi Arabia, with the service allowing passengers to seamlessly browse the internet, stream videos, check social media, shop online and more during flights using their own personal devices. In addition, the OneFi platform will serve as a catalyst for SAUDIA to monetize its inflight connectivity by bringing a host of real-time onboard services together within a single portal interface, such as ordering food, beverages and duty free items, enjoying e-books, newspapers and magazines, receiving flight updates, and signing into SAUDIA’s AlFursan frequent flyer program.

The UK no longer has access to the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) Safety of Life services since leaving the European Union (EU) and is not involved in the EU’s Galileo program for similar reasons. Therefore, this new national capability supported by current and future Inmarsat satellites could offer a new option for high-integrity, precision navigation across the country, in its airspace and within surrounding waters.

I-3F5 is in geosynchronous orbit at 54° west, ensuring that its signal covers the UK as part of its Atlantic Ocean region service overlay. This makes it an ideal candidate to participate in this test. The satellite was manufactured by Inmarsat’s Athena partner Lockheed Martin and launched in 1998.

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THALES

Thales has acquired the Moog ground-based navigation aids business located in Salt Lake City, Utah, enabling it to provide a more comprehensive navigation aid offering to its customers worldwide.

The acquisition was completed after Thales received the required regulatory approvals in October 2021.

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BOEING

777 Partners Orders 30 Additional 737 MAX Airplanes

• Investment firm has ordered a total of 68 737 MAXs in 2021, including 737-8 and 737-8-200 models
• 777 Partners leveraging the 737 to expand cost-effective, fuel-efficient operations for its affiliated low-cost carriers

Boeing and 777 Partners announced the Miami-based investment firm will nearly double its 737 MAX order book with the purchase of 30 additional jets. The new order expands 777 Partners’ commercial aircraft portfolio to a total of 68 737 MAXs, in its fourth order this year for the fuel-efficient, single-aisle jets. Valued at $3.7 billion at list prices, the order will enable 777 Partners to expand 737 MAX operations across the fleet of its affiliated global low-cost carriers.

The 737 MAX family reduces fuel use and carbon emissions by at least 14% compared to the airplanes it replaces, reducing operating costs as well as the environmental footprint for 777 Partners’ affiliated airlines. Every 737 MAX features a passenger-pleasing Boeing Sky Interior, highlighted by modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness and larger pivoting overhead storage bins.

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CRYSTAL CABIN AWARDS

For the 15th time, the Crystal Cabin Award Association is preparing to recognize and honor the best ideas for the aircraft cabin in the coming year. There are once again eight categories for the upcoming edition of the award, although some of the categories have been refined. Gathering at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg (14 – 16 June 2022), the expert jury will, for example, be choosing a winner for the best innovation in the “Sustainable Cabin” category for the first time. The award, launched in Hamburg, provides an indicator of what we can expect to see on board when we fly in the near future. Winners in 2020 included Safran, winning in multiple categories, as well as Airbus and Eviation. Submissions for the Crystal Cabin Award 2022 can be lodged at www.crystal-cabin-award.com until 6 February 2022.

(Editor’s Note: Here are the 8 categories:Cabin Concepts, Cabin Systems, Health & Safety, IFEC & Digital Services, Material & Components, Passenger Comfort, Sustainable Cabin, and University!)

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OTHER NEWS

• Wow! These worldwide mages are something to see, and frankly, these real world pix have a broad field of many things changing! A world ablaze, captured by AP photographers in 2021 | AP News
• Why you should always order Ginger Ale on a flight! Why You Should Always Order Ginger Ale on a Flight | Travel + Leisure OK, OK, you can probably add bourbon…
• How about new “leather”seats for airplanes? Californian firm touts ‘mushroom leather’ as sustainability gamechanger | Science | The Guardian

This week at APEX in California, we thought we would give our readers a peak at a product that would make their group experiences safer. And so, we contacted Web Barth, a long-time industry expert and asked him if we could provide a bit more information about a product that will make a trade show much safer – a face mask with some unique characteristics. The product that Web features is presently being used by flight crews and flight attendants  on Jordanian, and other Middle Eastern airlines.We were curious to know more and asked Web to tell us a little bit about the patented masks he will introduce to our industry this week during APEX. Since we knew little about his product,  Fine Guard Masks, we asked why his product has been developed for aviation: “Our particular brand the BreatheEasy Mask™ combines a very thin 99,9% protective material designed for athletes with the comfort of their conventional and popular ear loop design. This product is fully and patented with an international patent by a company called LIVINGUARD® of Switzerland, and as you might guess, I hunted for a product that would help anybody who flies on a plane!” We next had to ask how his masks differ from others available in today’s marketplace and he told IFExpress: “The reason being, the patented technology of the mask is a coating on the fibers of the fabric, which causes it to maintain a positive charge. Interestingly, this solution protects from any kind of airborne virus Covid, SARS, the flu, HIV, Delts Variant, Ebola, etc.“

IFExpress asked Web what different technology was featured in the BreathEasy and he told us: “Interestingly, this product is fully and patented on international patent by a company called LIVINGUARD® of Switzerland. My client has an exclusive manufacturing license with LILVINGUARD. We at VirExit have exclusive marketing and sales representation for all airlines and airports in the world. You can find Fine Guard masks available on Amazon today. They have sold about 10  million masks in 100 different countries.”

INMARSAT

Inmarsat, a leader in global mobile satellite communications,  announced that its award-winning GX Aviation inflight broadband solution is now available to passengers traveling with new Spanish airline World2Fly, in partnership with SITA as the service provider.

The long-haul carrier, founded by Spanish hotel group Iberostar, provides advanced, high-speed GX Aviation connectivity onboard its first Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Passengers can access the service thanks to SITA’s Internet ONAIR solution, allowing them to browse the internet, stream video and audio, shop online, or keep in touch with friends and loved ones. The seamless experience offers passengers the same broadband reliability and consistency in the air as they are used to on the ground.

World2fly’s A350-900s feature a modern and comfortable single-class cabin layout with 432 seats. The Mallorca-based airline will expand its fleet and operate flights from Madrid to leisure destinations such as Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) and Cancún (Mexico).

Demand for inflight connectivity has soared as passengers start returning to the skies after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Inmarsat’s recently released 2021 Passenger Confidence Tracker, the largest and most comprehensive global survey of its kind since the pandemic began, 41% of respondents believe that having Wi-Fi on their flights is even more important now than pre-COVID. Wi-Fi allows them to stay connected with friends and family and supports a touch-free environment.

Inmarsat owns and operates the a diverse global portfolio of mobile telecommunications satellite networks that power the best postpaid sim only plans, and holds a multi-layered, global spectrum portfolio, covering L-band, Ka-band and S-band, enabling unparalleled breadth and diversity in the solutions it provides. Inmarsat’s long-established global distribution network includes not only the world’s leading channel partners but also its own strong direct retail capabilities, enabling end to end customer service assurance.

SITA is the air transport industry’s IT provider, delivering solutions for airlines, airports, aircraft and governments. Our technology powers more seamless, safe and sustainable air travel.

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FTS & SHANDONG AIRLINES

On November 18th 2021, Shandong Airlines and FTS signed a cooperation agreement to formally launch the first domestic Digital Aircraft pilot project for this Boeing only airline fleet. This is the pilot deployment of FTS with full hardware and software solutions to digitalization of Shandong Airlines Boeing 737 fleet, including multiple stages of aircraft modification, airworthiness certification, applications verification and final flight testing.  The first aircraft is expected to be modified and enter into service in the middle of 2022.

As part of this collaboration, the two parties will jointly build a “Digital Aircraft Innovation Lab”, with goals of incubating digital aircraft innovations, training of talent, and continue to explore new scenarios and operational models. The project is leveraging on China’s own High Throughput satellites for air-to-ground high-speed data transmission.  The Lab is planned to function as a resource integrator for various ecosystem players – local tech startups, system integrators and even global partners to co-create solutions for digital aviation, from idea generation to testing to commercialization.

More and more airlines are now embracing the concept of Digital Aircraft. This refers to enabling high speed air to ground broadband connectivity in both the flight deck and passenger cabin, providing seamless data transmission services and collaboration between the Digital Aircraft and ground operations networks.  Airlines can harness real-time data to produce insights that can enhance flight safety and efficiency, reduce operational disruptions, improve passenger experiences, and make real-time decisions regarding fleet health.

As one of the world’s major civil aviation hubs, China sees digital transformation as the necessary way to lay down the infrastructure foundation for sustaining growth in aviation.  The Chinese authorities and regulators have convened and proposed a national framework of Digital Aircraft solutions to guide and oversee the accelerated deployment of digital transformation of its domestic airlines to improve operational safety, optimize costs and improved passenger experiences.

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AIRBUS, THALES, and DIEHL

Airbus, Diehl and Thales open a new chapter in safe and sustainable air mobility:

• Airbus has selected Thales and Diehl to supply the electrical flight controls for its future CityAirbus NextGen air taxi, providing a safe and secure response to tomorrow’s air mobility needs.
• The new-generation flight control computer meets the size and weight requirements of an eVTOL (electrically powered vertical take-off and landing) aircraft and is particularly well suited to the emerging urban and regional air mobility markets.
• Thales has more than 40 years of experience in electrical flight controls, having supplied the systems for the first ever fly-by-wire commercial airliner, the Airbus A310.

By 2030, 60% of the world’s population will live in cities. This sustained growth in urban populations is expected to drive demand for innovative mobility solutions as ground transportation systems become increasingly congested. One way forward could be to offer a safe, sustainable and efficient alternative that makes optimum use of urban airspace.

Flight control systems are critical to flight safety, calculating and adjusting the position of the aircraft’s control surfaces and managing engine thrust. Electrical flight control systems are progressively replacing conventional mechanical systems and offer significant advantages in terms of safety, performance and reliability, as well as reducing aircraft weight and improving passenger comfort.

The system selected by Airbus will combine Thales primary flight computers with secondary flight computers from Diehl. The choice of different flight computers will help improve flight safety and guarantee system integrity to comply with the new EASA regulation for eVTOL.

The streamlined architecture of the flight control computers will make certification simpler while retaining the capacity to accommodate further developments and host multiple functions such as navigation, guidance and pilot assistance.

Drawing on its long-standing experience of electrical flight controls, which dates back to the 1980s with the pioneering fly-by-wire systems for the Airbus A310, and with a total of 12,000 aircraft equipped to date, Thales is joining Airbus and Diehl to write the next chapter in the future of air mobility.The fully electric CityAirbus NextGen is designed to carry up to four passengers in a zero emissions flight in multiple applications. CityAirbus is being developed to fly with a 80 km range and to reach a cruise speed of 120 km/h, making it perfectly suited for operations in major cities for a variety of missions. It is optimized for hover and cruise efficiency, while not requiring moving surfaces or tilting parts during transition. Designed with simplicity in mind, CityAirbus NextGen will offer best-in-class economic performance in operations and support. Its first flight of a prototype is planned for 2023.

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OTHER NEWS

• If you are into airports, you might like this free report: Sustainability Strategy for Airports Worldwide. Sustainability Strategy for Airports Worldwide – ACI World Store
• Boy, the screwed-up 5G frequency issues are hard to believe. See if you think so, 40 other countries seem to have sorted it out? How Trump and Biden Both Screwed Up 5G | PCMag
• Airline violence has tripled in the last couple of years and something needs to be done to protect onboard workers – Flight attendants’ jobs have become more dangerous

PANASONIC

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) announced an agreement with Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) to provide its latest 4K and Bluetooth audio in-flight entertainment (IFE) innovations on its 35 new Airbus A321neo family aircraft.

Panasonic Avionics’ NEXT IFE system will be installed on 20 new Airbus A321neo and 15 Airbus A321neoXLR aircraft. The company’s NEXT system, which delivers one of the industry’s most advanced cabin experiences, has been configured to evolve with the future business objectives of the airline. It leverages a large and evolving suite of digital services from Panasonic Avionics aimed at improving loyalty, revenue generation and passenger engagement.

In addition to the full cabin advanced HD experience, Saudia will also feature Bluetooth audio streaming, allowing Saudi’s guests to unlock a library of premium entertainment options safely, using their own Bluetooth-enabled headphones.

Business Class passengers will be able to experience the full 4K experience on 16-inch screens and use wireless charging to seamlessly connect with friends, family and colleagues as soon as they reach their destination. In Economy Class, Saudia has selected 12-inch 4K screens, and high power USB charging at every seat.

Ken Sain, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics, said, “We are delighted to extend our strategic partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines by taking their passenger experience to the next level with our 4K and Bluetooth audio in-flight entertainment technology. We are very excited to broaden our relationship with Saudia to this new fleet of aircraft and deliver the hardware and digital services that help ensure passengers expectations are exceeded by the best-in-class services available today and into the future.”

Panasonic Avionics is already the IFE provider for Saudia’s fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 787-10 aircraft – with 45 aircraft utilizing its technology.

More News From Panasonic:

Panasonic has been selected by Iraqi Airways to provide in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) solutions for its new fleet of 21 narrowbody and 10 widebody aircraft.

These aircraft, which includes 5 A220, 16 B737MAX and 10 B787 aircraft types, will be line-fitted with Panasonic’s X Series IFE solutions and are expected to enter service in October 2022.

Panasonic Avionics’ X Series offers elegant full HD seatback monitors, complete with capacitive touch displays and handsets, and an intuitive, personalized interface. Passengers will have access to USB and laptop charging power points at every seat as well. The X Series portfolio also includes eXW, which delivers a premium passenger experience to passengers’ personal devices. Each of these systems are designed to help drive ancillary revenue, foster higher levels of passenger loyalty, and increase passenger engagement.

The airline’s Boeing 737 MAX fleet, which will feature the company’s eX1 narrowbody IFE solution, also offers Panasonic Avionics’ in-flight Wi-Fi service. Its next-generation connectivity enables a host of connectivity benefits, from fast internet to video streaming, all powered by its new satellite modem featuring bandwidth up to twenty times greater than previously available.

Panasonic Avionics’ IFEC solutions are also being fitted to Iraqi Airways’ new fleet of five Airbus A220 aircraft, the first of which entered service last month. To meet the airline’s requirement of offering state-of-the-art wireless IFE streaming on its A220 fleet, Panasonic Avionics is installing its eXW solution, which delivers a wide range of content to passengers’ personal electronic devices, along with its in-flight Wi-Fi service.

For Iraqi Airways’ Boeing 787 aircraft, Panasonic Avionics is providing its industry-leading eX3 in-flight system and global high-speed connectivity services.

Ken Sain, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said, “We are delighted to have been chosen as Iraqi Airways’ partner for its new narrowbody and widebody fleet. Our proven blend of in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions will enhance the passenger experience on their flights across the Middle East and beyond.”

Farazdaq Al-Qazaz, Configuration and EIS Program Manager, said, “Iraqi Airways celebrates its partnership with Panasonic Avionics on its new fleet, as it will provide passengers with entertainment services as well as add unique internet services, and it will be an enjoyable experience for passengers during their flights with Iraqi Airways.”

Panasonic & Emirates:

Panasonic Avionics has been selected by Emirates to deliver a suite of in-flight entertainment (IFE) solutions for its Premium Economy cabin being rolled out across its fleet.

Panasonic Avionics’ IFE systems are being integrated into the Premium Economy cabin being introduced on 105 of Emirates’ Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, with the first due to enter service in the summer of 2022.

This follows the unveiling of Emirates’ Premium Economy cabin in December 2020, and its initial rollout to widespread acclaim on several of its newest A380 aircraft.

Emirates’ new Premium Economy cabins will feature a range of the latest IFE innovations from Panasonic Avionics. Elegantly designed 13-inch HD screens will be fitted at each seat, with integrated control buttons, ultra-wide viewing angles, LED backlighting and capacitive touch all creating a luxury feel for passengers when choosing from over 4,500 channels of entertainment on Emirates’ ice system powered by Panasonic Avionics.

Passengers can connect their own headphones to the IFE system via Bluetooth, experience its 3D gaming options, use the screen’s high-power USB type A and C chargers, and use AC sockets at each seat to power their laptops.

At the Dubai Air Show, Emirates announced that its new Premium Economy cabin would be fitted on 52 A380s, and 53 Boeing 777s in its fleet.

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INMARSAT & SAUDI ARABIA

Inmarsat has announced that the national airline of Saudia Arabia, SAUDIA, has selected Inmarsat’s award-winning GX Aviation connectivity solution and OneFi passenger experience platform for its upcoming fleet.

GX Aviation and OneFi will be available on SAUDIA’s upcoming fleet of 35 Airbus A321neo and Airbus A321XLR aircraft, with the aircraft connected to the advanced connectivity service using a new ultra-high performance terminal by GDC Technics. The first installation of GX Aviation is expected in late 2022.

This selection marks a significant number of firsts for aviation, including:

• The launch of GX Aviation in Saudi Arabia
• The first major inflight connectivity agreement in the Middle East since the Covid-19 pandemic
• SAUDIA has become the first in the Middle East to select Inmarsat’s revolutionary new OneFi customer experience platform (CXP)
• SAUDIA is the first in the world to select the next-generation terminal for GX Aviation, developed with GDC Technics.

It comes at a critical time for airlines, with the global pandemic having accelerated passenger demand for digital inflight experiences. In fact, Inmarsat’s 2021 Passenger Confidence Tracker, found that 41% of air passengers worldwide believed inflight Wi-Fi had further increased in importance after the pandemic.

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BLUEBOX & GLOBAL ONBOARD PARTNERS

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BOEING

Boeing to Open Three New Freighter Conversion Lines; Takes Order for Eleven 737-800BCF

• New conversion lines to open at KF Aerospace in Canada and at Boeing’s London Gatwick MRO in the United Kingdom
• Icelease orders eleven 737-800BCF; will be launch customer for new conversion line at London Gatwick MRO facility
• 737-800BCF now has more than 200 orders and commitments from 19 customers

As global demand for freighters continues to soar, Boeing  announced plans to add three conversion lines for the market-leading 737-800BCF across North America and Europe. The company also signed a firm order with Icelease for eleven of the freighters as the launch customer for one of the new conversion lines.

In 2022, the company will open one conversion line at Boeing’s London Gatwick Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facility, its state-of-the-art hangar in the United Kingdom; and two conversion lines in 2023 at KF Aerospace MRO in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.

For Icelease, which recently expanded its cooperation with Corrum Capital through a joint venture called Carolus Cargo Leasing, the order for eleven 737-800BCF will be their first converted freighter order with Boeing. The lessor will be the launch customer for conversions at Boeing’s London Gatwick MRO facility.

Earlier this year, Boeing announced it would create additional 737-800BCF conversion capacity at several sites, including a third conversion line at Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Limited (GAMECO), and two conversion lines in 2022 with a new supplier, Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales (COOPESA) in Costa Rica. Once the new lines become active, Boeing will have conversion sites in North America, Asia and Europe.

Boeing forecasts 1,720 freighter conversions will be needed over the next 20 years to meet demand. Of those, 1,200 will be standard-body conversions, with nearly 20% of that demand coming from European carriers, and 30% coming from North America and Latin America.

DHL

• DHL places its largest Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) order for nine 767-300BCF
• The expanded 767-300BCF fleet will strengthen DHL’s response to the continued growing demand for express cargo driven by e-commerce

DHL Express (DHL) and Boeing announced that the logistics company placed a firm order for nine more 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF). Representing their largest single 767-300BCF order to date, the additional freighters will help expand DHL’s long-haul intercontinental fleet in response to increased global demand for cargo capacity. DHL has taken delivery of seven of a batch of eight 767-300BCF, that have been leased to DHL partner airlines in the Middle East and Latin America to support its expanding regional networks.The 767-300BCF is the world’s most efficient medium widebody converted freighter and can carry up to 51.6 tonnes (113,900 pounds) up to 6,190 kilometers (3,345 nautical miles). 767 Freighters provide the lowest operating costs per trip with excellent payload and range capability. The 767-300BCF has more than 100 orders and commitments to date

VSMPO-AVISMA

Boeing and Russian titanium producer VSMPO-AVISMA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) affirming that VSMPO-AVISMA will remain the largest titanium supplier for current and future Boeing commercial airplanes. Under the MOU signed by company leaders at the Dubai Airshow, Boeing and VSMPO-AVISMA will work together to:

• Increase utilization of their Russia-based Ural Boeing Manufacturing (UBM) joint venture;
• Increase R&D investment and continue to develop new titanium alloys and technologies;
• Explore new opportunities to expand VSMPO-AVISMA’s role producing titanium parts and components beyond raw material or forging, for current and future Boeing commercial airplanes.

EMIRATES

Boeing and Emirates announced an order for two 777 Freighters at the 2021 Dubai Airshow, expanding the future capability of one of the world’s largest cargo airlines at a time of significant global demand for air freight. The freighters will be operated by Emirates SkyCargo, which currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of 10 777 Freighters and also carries cargo on Emirates’ 134 777 passenger airplanes. Valued at more than $704 million at list prices, the orders were previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing’s Orders and Deliveries website.

Boeing’s 2021 Commercial Market Outlook forecasts increased demand for dedicated freighters, including new and converted models. By 2040, the global freighter fleet will be 70% larger compared with the pre-pandemic fleet, with the Middle East freighter fleet growing by 87%.

ETIHAD AIRWAYS

• Industry-first strategic partnership focused on Etihad’s 787 Dreamliner fleet
• Building on collaboration to improve sustainability through navigation, flight operations and airframe technologies

Boeing and Etihad Airways announced they will expand the companies’ deep collaboration towards environmental goals. Centered on the airline’s 787 Dreamliner fleet, the new memorandum of understanding (MOU) furthers Boeing and Etihad’s mutual commitment – initially set through a 2019 sustainability partnership – to develop sustainable flight operations across Etihad’s global network.

The new agreement will focus on enhancing the efficiency of navigation and flight operations, airframe technologies and sustainable practices to reduce Etihad’s fuel use and emissions. In addition, company leaders said their partnership provides an opportunity to validate concepts that could be scaled up to benefit the broader aviation industry.

 SAUDIA

• SAUDIA selected Boeing’s advanced digital analytics tools to improve maintenance operations and on-time performance of their 787 Dreamliner and 777 fleets
• Boeing will also provide interior modification services for SAUDIA’s 777 fleet

SAUDIA selected Boeing for a suite of services to improve their 787 Dreamliner and 777 fleets’ operational efficiency through digital analytics, and to modify their 777 cabin interiors.

 AIR TANZANIA

• Order for 787 Dreamliner, 767 Freighter and two 737 MAX airplanes
• Passenger and freighter models will boost airline’s capability in Africa and beyond.

Boeing and the United Republic of Tanzania announced an order for a 787-8 Dreamliner, a 767-300 Freighter and two 737 MAX jets at the 2021 Dubai Airshow. The order, valued at more than $726 million at list prices, was previously unidentified on the Boeing Orders and Deliveries website.

Boeing’s 2021 Commercial Market Outlook forecasts that, by 2040, Africa’s airlines will require 1,030 new airplanes valued at $160 billion and aftermarket services such as manufacturing and repair worth $235 billion, supporting growth in air travel and economies across the continent.

AKASA AIRLINES

Akasa Air Orders 72 Fuel-Efficient 737 MAX Airplanes to Launch Service in Fast-Growing Indian Market

• New Indian carrier’s order valued at nearly $9 billion, includes 737-8 and high-capacity 737-8-200

Boeing and Akasa Air, a brand of SNV Aviation, announced the new Indian carrier has ordered (72) 737 MAX airplanes to build its fleet. Valued at nearly $9 billion at list prices, the order is a key endorsement of the 737 family’s capability to serve the rapidly growing Indian market.

Akasa Air’s order includes two variants from the 737 MAX family, the 737-8 and the high-capacity 737-8-200. Providing the lowest seat-mile costs for a single-aisle airplane as well as high dispatch reliability and an enhanced passenger experience, the 737 MAX will ensure Akasa Air has a competitive edge in its dynamic home market.

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THALES

Thales announces that it will supply flight control computers for the newest Gulfstream business jet aircraft, the Gulfstream G400 and Gulfstream G800. All Gulfstream’s large cabin business jet aircraft are equipped with Thales Fly-By-Wire solutions. Thales pioneered the development and certification of Fly-by-Wire (FBW) technology on modern commercial aircraft in 1983. Today, it remains at the forefront of FBW technology, supplying the most advanced flight control electronics in over 10,000 aircraft worldwide.

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ACROPOLIS AVIATION

Acropolis Aviation was the launch customer for Airbus’ new ACJneo single-aisle family in May 2015, during EBACE in Geneva. This week’s 2021 Dubai Air Show will see G-KELT make its first public appearance on the static at the Dubai World Central (DWC) Airport venue – for Airbus Corporate Jets.

The aircraft entered service in March 2020, sporting a distinctive, luxurious cabin design by Yves Pickardt from Alberto Pinto and installed by leading completion specialist AMAC Aerospace at its Basel Airport facilities in Switzerland. “We are absolutely delighted Airbus Corporate Jets is showcasing our aircraft at the Dubai Air Show”, commented Acropolis’ CEO Jonathan Bousfield. “We are very much looking forward to presenting the aircraft to our Middle Eastern clientele for the first time.”

G-KELT can accommodate up to 19 passengers, sleeping 17 on fully lie-flat beds, with luggage space for over 100 pieces of baggage and the support of a crew of six. The aircraft is also certified for extended-range flights of up to 12 hours and low visibility ‘CAT 3A’ landing minima in severe weather conditions. Flight entertainment and onboard connectivity is via Collins Aerospace and Satcom Direct.

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WOMEN IN AVIATION

Women in Aviation International (WAI) is proud to announce the awarding of a $1 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to strengthen the organization’s initiatives encouraging youth to pursue STEM futures through media platforms, industry partner coalitions, and cultivation of female aviation champions.

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OTHER NEWS

• I have often wondered about the black painting on an aircrafts nose? Why do airlines PAINT the nose BLACK? Explained by CAPTAIN JOE – YouTube
• And here is a link to the United States 2021 Aviation climate action.

COLLINS AEROSPACE

• Customized Club Suite offers passengers luxury, privacy and all-aisle access
• Creates a consistent passenger experience across the British Airways fleet
• Completion expected by the end of 2022

British Airways has selected Collins Aerospace to upgrade its fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft to the Club World experience for business class passengers.

The agreement includes installation of the popular Club Suite business class seat, the Club Kitchen and a new cabin configuration. Collins will also perform full-cabin integration work – including engineering design, test and approval – along with program management and third-party supplier approvals. Some of the modified aircraft are already flying with the upgrades expected to be complete by the end of 2022. The retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft will be operating from London Heathrow.

“When we launched our Club Suite product, it was a huge hit with our customers who loved the privacy the new seat offers,” said Sajida Ismail, Head of Inflight Product for British Airways. “We are focused on the roll out of this product and other cabin enhancements to ensure we deliver on our commitment to provide the very best British quality, style and comfort for our customers.”

The Club Suite is a customized version of Collins Aerospace’s industry-leading Super Diamond business class seat, providing British Airways international passengers with privacy doors, a spacious seat that converts to a fully flat bed and an upgraded inflight entertainment system. Similar to the upgraded cabin on British Airways’ new Airbus A350 fleet, the suites are laid out in a 1-2-1 pattern, allowing all-aisle access for every passenger. This proven design can be tailored to fit different airframes, helping maintain a consistent passenger experience.

The Club Kitchen is an area consisting of galley inserts, chillers and built-in storage for snacks, drinks and other refreshments, allowing passengers the ability to collect self-service snacks and refreshments at their leisure.

“The upgraded Club World cabin raises British Airways’ already high standards and provides commonality across their fleet of aircraft,” said Trevor Skelly, general manager of Integration Engineering for Collins Aerospace. “Our Integration Engineering team has worked closely with British Airways designers for several years to bring the latest in business class comfort, style and privacy from concept to reality.”

Through its Integration and Engineering group, Collins Aerospace has an Organization Designation Authority from the FAA to oversee the certification and Supplemental Type Certificate for the upgrade. Manufacturing of the new suite seats is being completed at the company’s facility in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland, while the new Club Kitchen was designed at the company’s facility in Everett, Washington.

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INMARSAT

Inmarsat, a world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, has announced a new partnership network for its ground-breaking Velaris connectivity solution and confirmed the first member is set to be Altitude Angel, the world’s leading Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) technology provider.

As part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed this week, the two companies will explore opportunities to further integrate Inmarsat’s recently-launched Velaris connectivity solution for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with Altitude Angel’s market-leading UTM technology. Together, they will offer secure communications for commercial UAVs – commonly known as drones – to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) on long distance flights and access applications, including real-time monitoring, to ensure safe integration with aircraft in commercial airspace.

The new agreement will strengthen the existing partnership between Inmarsat and Altitude Angel, which has initially focused on the development of a Pop-Up UTM platform that delivers advanced flight tracking and management capability for UAVs. The solution has already been successfully demonstrated on a number of flights, offering full situational awareness to the operator team and preventing any potential conflicts with commercial aircraft. In addition, the Pop-Up UTM was crowned winner of Air Traffic Management Magazine’s UTM Service Supplier Award earlier this year and has been shortlisted in the prestigious Maverick Awards innovation category at World ATM Congress 2021, taking place this week.

Anthony Spouncer, Inmarsat’s Senior Director of UAVs and UTM, said: “Inmarsat’s Velaris Partner Network (VPN) allows us to develop an unparalleled array of end-to-end UAV solutions and capabilities, working alongside a world-class ecosystem of leading players from across the industry. We are delighted that Altitude Angel has been announced as the first member and look forward to expanding the network further, with the additional of both new and well-established companies expected in the near future.”

Phil Binks, Altitude Angel’s Head of UTM, said: “Our Pop-Up UTM platform has received an outstanding response from the UAV industry, showing the immense potential for unmanned traffic management to enable safe, highly-automated UAV flights in both urban and rural environments. As the inaugural member of Inmarsat’s Velaris Partner Network, we will build on this momentum together by developing cutting-edge new innovations for this fast growing market that combine our unique individual strengths.”

The announcement comes a day after Inmarsat and Cranfield University published a new report, titled ‘UAVs: Unlocking positive transformation in the world’, which examines the wealth of new possibilities and applications unlocked by commercial UAVs. A key finding was the potential of UAVs to almost half the CO2 emissions of urban freight transport compared to small light commercial vehicles (LCVs), providing an unprecedented opportunity to reduce the logistics industry’s environmental impact.

The report, which analyses both new and existing research, also identifies the many other commercial advantages provided by UAVs to organizations that embrace the technology and adopt new operational methods, with cost and time savings leading to enhanced supply chain and business efficiencies. In addition, it explores the considerable benefits that extend beyond those driven by commercial gain, such as delivering humanitarian and medical aid to remote communities and conflict zones, surveillance to protect endangered animals from poachers, and monitoring for illegal deforestation or mining operations.

Velaris is powered by Inmarsat’s ELERA global satellite network, which delivers the world’s most reliable and flexible global connectivity, with full global redundancy and unique resilience in all conditions. ELERA capabilities will be enhanced further with the upcoming addition of Inmarsat-6 satellites, the largest and most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever built, the first of which (I-6F1) is scheduled to launch before the end of the year. The L-band capacity on each I-6 satellite will be substantially greater than Inmarsat’s 4th generation spacecraft and, among other enhancements, delivers 50% more capacity per beam in addition to unlimited beam routing flexibility.

More News:

Inmarsat, announced that Philippe Carette will be joining the company as President of its Aviation Business Unit on 22 November 2021.

Philippe joins Inmarsat from Thales, where he held several roles since joining the company in 2013. This includes the position of CEO of Thales’ InFlyt Experience Business Line (IFE), where he led a digital transformation of the business, leveraging cloud based disruptive applications and achieving a significant increase in customer satisfaction. Philippe has over 30 years’ experience in the technology & aerospace industries, which in addition to his tenure at Thales includes 14 years with the Safran Group, a major French aerospace engineering company.

Philip Balaam, currently business unit President for aviation, is moving into a new strategy role at Inmarsat, where he will be working with Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Fredrik Gustavsson to reinforce the company’s growing, broad-based commercial momentum.

“I am very pleased to welcome Philippe Carette as president of our aviation business at the start of a new era of growth across our aviation business lines, and throughout the company as a whole”, said Rajeev Suri, CEO of Inmarsat. “He brings a wealth of experience and I look forward to working with him as a member of Inmarsat’s executive team as we extend our technology leadership and significantly enhance the services we offer to our partners and customers through new initiatives such as ORCHESTRA and ELERA. His 30 plus years of experience in aviation, technology and aerospace will be invaluable.

“I wish to thank Philip Balaam for the pivotal role he played in establishing Inmarsat as a leader in the IFC sector and for his many other contributions to the growth of our aviation business. In his new strategy role at Inmarsat, he will play a crucial role in enhancing the future strategic framework for the whole business.”

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SATCOM DIRECT

Satcom Direct (SD), the business aviation solutions provider, has inked a preferred supplier agreement with Slovenia-headquartered aviation services company Elit’Avia. Voice, data, connectivity, and flight deck communication functionality, along with customer support and training, is now enabling Elit’Avia to optimize the full range of SD connectivity services for its mixed fleet. Demonstrating the value of the SD Xperience portfolio, which enables customization of bundled packages, the deal realizes the opportunity for Elit’Avia to tailor SD services to meet individual aircraft requirements.

The Elit’Avia flight department already uses the digital flight operations system SD Pro® to synchronize flight operations, access the SD Cyber Security Threat Monitoring module, and to track and monitor flights. The three-year arrangement strengthens and extends the existing commercial relationship between the two companies

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THALES

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) renews their trust in Thales with a turnkey modernization of their nationwide Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. The new ATM system will improve capacity and safety thanks to a complete nationwide surveillance coverage using the latest ATC and air surveillance technologies compliant with ICAO standards. An iconic new Air Traffic Management Centre and Control Tower as well as new radar building will be constructed at the Hazrat Shajalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka.

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BOEING

Boeing Projects Demand for 1,540 New Airplanes in the Russia, Ukraine and CIS Aviation Market Through 2040.

• 20-year commercial airplane market valued at $520 billion, including jets and services
• Forecast anticipates that Russia, leading all regions in domestic air travel recovery, will see additional growth in leisure and business travel

Boeing said that airlines in Russia, Ukraine and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will require 1,540 new airplanes valued at $200 billion over the next 20 years, driven mainly by growth in the single-aisle market. The region also will need aftermarket aviation services such as passenger-to-freighter conversions, maintenance and repair, and digital services worth $320 billion, according to the 2021 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), Boeing’s long-term forecast of demand for commercial airplanes and services.

Global and regional air travel markets are recovering largely as Boeing projected last year. Following a strong economic rebound and large pent-up demand, Russia has led all regions in domestic air traffic recovery, with growth expected to continue, according to Boeing.

“Boeing is ready to support carriers in Russia, Ukraine and CIS as they transform their business models and take advantage of opportunities for further growth,” said Randy Heisey, Boeing managing director of Commercial Marketing for Russia, Ukraine and CIS. “Aviation is vitally important for enabling robust domestic tourism growth and a rebound in long-haul leisure travel while also supporting trade and cargo links across a huge geographic region.”

The 2021 CMO for Russia, Ukraine and CIS includes these projections through 2040:

Air traffic is projected to grow by 2.9% annually, tied to economic growth of 2.1% per year.

More than half of deliveries to the region will be for growth. The overall fleet is expected to total more than 2,000 airplanes, with demand for more fuel-efficient models.
Single-aisle airplanes will represent 75% of deliveries, with demand for 1,150 airplanes. Demand will be driven by growth in the low-cost carrier (LCC) segment, including opportunities for new and expanding low-cost airlines.

Demand for 160 new widebody passenger and freighter airplanes to serve regional leisure markets as well as long-haul passenger and cargo markets.

The region will require 83,000 new aviation personnel, including 25,000 pilots, 25,000 technicians and 33,000 cabin crews. For Boeing’s global demand forecast, go to the Pilot and Technician Outlook website.

For Boeing’s global and regional forecasts, including data and analysis, go to the Commercial Market Outlook website.

More News:

A.P. Moller – Maersk Orders Two Boeing 777 Freighters

• Global logistics and shipping company places first order for 777 Freighter
• 777 Freighters to be operated by Maersk’s air freight operator Star Air

Boeing and A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) announced the global provider of end-to-end container logistics has placed an order for two 777 Freighters. The freighters will be operated by Star Air, Maersk’s in-house aircraft operator and is the company’s first 777 order. Star Air currently operates an all-Boeing 767 Freighter fleet.

More News:

Boeing contribution – Boeing Contributes Nearly $2 Million for Indigenous Communities in the U.S. – Nov 1, 2021

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OTHER NEWS

• “The three key ways AI is changing what it means to compute: AI is reinventing what computers are | MIT Technology Review
• Gogo announced that their 5G Expected to Deliver ~25 Mbps on Average with 75-80 Mbps Peak Speeds – for the business jet market!
• This video about Tom Cruise is just amazing…and yes, he earns his money! How Tom Cruise Held Onto The Side Of A Flying Airbus A400M – YouTube

PANASONIC

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) has announced the appointment of Kim Creaven as Director of Advertising Sales.

Kim will serve as the organizational lead for all Panasonic Avionics’ market-driven, advertising-related solutions. She will be responsible for the development and oversight of the business to include product, sales, and marketing solutions that maximize opportunities for the monetization of passenger engagement through in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) systems.

In her role, Kim will report to Andrew Mohr, Panasonic Avionics’ Vice President, Digital Solutions. She will be working with customers, stakeholders, and third-party vendors to help develop and execute product and marketing strategies for its advertising services across the company’s business verticals.

Andrew Mohr said, “There is incredible room for growth in the in-flight advertising space, and Kim’s expertise and in-depth industry knowledge will contribute greatly to unlocking that potential through Panasonic Avionics’ IFE and Connectivity.”

Kim has more than 26 years of experience in advertising and sales roles with airlines, media, and IFEC providers. She previously held roles at Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Gogo and joins Panasonic Avionics from ANUVU (formally Global Eagle Entertainment), where she was Vice President of Sales, Strategy and Partner Marketing from 2014 – 2020.

Kim Creaven said, “Panasonic Avionics is a proven leader in digital aviation products and services, and I am delighted to be joining their talented team at such an exciting time for our sector.”

“As Panasonic Avionics continues its advances in digital ancillary revenue innovation, we will be taking today’s in-cabin entertainment experience to the next level of engagement with our industry-leading advertising services.”

“I will use my experience and passion for our industry to help Panasonic Avionics become the lead in onboard advertising and ancillary revenue standards and to deliver innovative customer partnerships across the globe.”

Since 2017, Kim has also been Chairwoman of the APEX (The Airline Passenger Experience Association) Advertising & Ancillary Revenue Committee – the first within APEX to elevate airline ancillary revenue related to advertising, sponsorships, and loyalty partnerships. In this role, Kim has led the creation of industry best practices and the first glossary of terms for creative airline advertising.

Kim attended the University of Kentucky, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree within the School of Business and Journalism.

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INMARSAT

Inmarsat, a leader in global, mobile satellite communications, today confirmed that its strategic partner BSNL has received the necessary licenses to deliver Inmarsat’s world-leading Global Xpress (GX) mobile broadband services in India.

Under BSNL’s Inflight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC) license from the Department of Telecommunications, GX will be available to Indian customers across government, aviation and maritime.

The announcement means that India’s airlines will be able to deploy GX for in-flight connectivity within India and throughout the world, while India’s commercial maritime companies will be able to enhance significantly the digitalization of their vessels for more effective ship operations and crew welfare services. BSNL’s license will also see the award-winning GX service offered to government and other users. There will be a phased introduction of services for customers and partners.

Rajeev Suri, Inmarsat CEO, said: “Today is a significant day for Inmarsat and our valued, long-term partnership with India, which was a signatory to the founding treaty establishing Inmarsat in 1979. Inmarsat is delighted to make the world’s only global high-speed mobile broadband Ka-band network available to the Government and businesses in India through our partner BSNL. We are committed to India and the company has been a trusted partner for the Indian government for four decades. Today’s announcement, which we share proudly with our friends at BSNL, will help to underpin the further economic growth that we all wish to see in India.”

GX, operating in the Ka-band, is the first and only high-speed broadband network designed for mobility and government customers to seamlessly span the world. This market-leading service delivers the high bandwidth, reliability and security that commercial and government-grade mobility customers demand. GX is continually evolving to offer even more capacity, capabilities and operational agility for Inmarsat customers now and well into the future. The company is launching a further seven GX satellites, including its next generation GX satellites, over the coming three years, each of which will add more capacity into a single region than the first four satellites combined. The GX gateway for India is located in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL, Mr P.K. Purwar said: “BSNL and Inmarsat are delighted to share this key milestone with our partners and customers in India. Global Xpress is recognized as the world’s best high-speed satellite communications service for government and mobility business customers and we are very pleased to make these capabilities available to users in India. All of us at BSNL appreciate the commitment to excellence shown by the Indian Government as we have worked on approvals to deliver this service to the country. Equally, we thank our partner Inmarsat for their spirit of collaboration in reaching today’s milestone to help power forward economic development in India through higher quality connectivity for our customers.”

Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet Ltd, said: “We are delighted that Global Xpress, the world-leading passenger inflight connectivity service, is now coming to India. We are looking forward to offering this ground-breaking connectivity service to our passengers later this year, when we introduce our new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. It will enable our customers to remain connected in the air as they do on the ground.”

Gautam Sharma, Inmarsat India Managing Director, said: “Inmarsat is well-positioned to partner with the Indian government to address the ever-growing demand for reliable, mobile satellite communication services across a broad range of commercial and public sectors. Following the successful introduction of Inmarsat’s voice and broadband data communication services across India in the past, today we are announcing that Inmarsat’s award-winning Global Xpress services has now secured the necessary licenses through our valued partner BSNL. Global Xpress is the gold standard of high-speed satellite mobile broadband communications. It will enable Indian domestic airlines and international airlines flying over India to provide the world’s fastest inflight connectivity. It will also speed up the digitalization of Indian-flagged maritime vessels and give an edge to the Indian Government, including its defense forces. We are proud to be led by Rajeev Suri, an Indian-born global leader as we unlock the next phase of commitment to the Indian government and Indian market.”

Also From Inmarsat:

Inmarsat recently unveiled plans for ORCHESTRA, the communications network of the future, which will bring the company’s existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellite networks [GX and Inmarsat ELERA operating in the L-band] together with low earth orbit satellites (LEO) and terrestrial 5G to form an integrated, high-performance solution, unmatched by any existing or planned competitor offering. ORCHESTRA allows capacity to be boosted in high-density areas such as at airports and maritime ports, eliminating network ‘hot spot’ congestion forever and ensuring that the connectivity needs of mobility and government customers continue to be met for decades to come, with capacity scaled directly to match their requirements.

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AVALON

Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company, and Japan Airlines (‘JAL’), announce a partnership to commercialize zero-emissions eVTOL aircraft in Japan.

Avolon, through its investment and innovation affiliate Avolon-e, has formed a strategic partnership with JAL to identify and target local partners and customers, infrastructure requirements, certification, and a range of commercial models to introduce one of the world’s first eVTOL ride sharing businesses in Japan. Through this partnership, JAL will have a right to purchase or lease up to 50 Vertical VA-X4 eVTOL aircraft from Avolon, with the option to purchase or lease up to 50 additional units.

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BOEING

Boeing Forecasts 20-year Middle East Commercial Jet and Services Market Valued at more than $1.4 Trillion

• Commercial fleet expected to more than double to serve passenger and cargo demand
• Projected widebody deliveries will be the highest proportion of any region at 44%
• Aftermarket commercial services such as maintenance and repair worth $740 billion

Boeing said that airlines in the Middle East will require 3,000 new airplanes valued at $700 billion and aftermarket services such as maintenance and repair worth $740 billion, with the region positioned to capitalize on the recovery of regional and international travel and cargo demand. Boeing provided the estimate in its 2021 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), a forecast of 20-year demand for commercial airplanes and services.

Middle East passenger traffic and the region’s commercial fleet are projected to more than double over the 20-year forecast period, according to the CMO. More than two-thirds of airplane deliveries to the Middle East will accommodate growth, while one-third of deliveries will replace older airplanes with more fuel-efficient models such as the 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner and 777X.

“The Middle East region’s role as a global connecting hub continues to be important for developing markets to and from Southeast Asia, China and Africa,” said Randy Heisey, Boeing managing director of Commercial Marketing for the Middle East. “The region has been a leader in restoring confident passenger travel through multi-faceted initiatives that aid international travel recovery.”

Air freight represents an ongoing area of opportunity for Middle East airlines, with the freighter fleet projected to nearly double from 80 airplanes in 2019 to 150 by 2040. Notably, air cargo traffic flown by Middle East carriers has increased since 2020 by nearly 20%, with two of the world’s top-five cargo carriers based in the region.

The 2021 Middle East CMO also includes these projections through 2040:

To accommodate increased passenger and cargo traffic, airlines are predicted to grow their fleets to 3,530 jets.
The region will continue to see robust widebody demand, with 1,570 deliveries supporting a growing network of international routes.

The current single-aisle fleet of 660 airplanes is forecast to nearly triple to 1,750 jets.

Commercial services opportunities include fleet renewal, maintenance, repair and parts supply, and operations optimization.

Boeing’s 2021 Pilot and Technician Outlook forecasts that the region is estimated to require 223,000 new aviation personnel by 2040, including 54,000 pilots, 51,000 technicians and 91,000 cabin crew members. The complete PTO is available here. The complete CMO forecast is available here.

Boeing Forecasts Africa’s 20-year Commercial Aviation Market Opportunity Valued at Nearly $400 Billion.

• Africa’s commercial airplane fleet projected to grow to 1,560 over the next 20 years
• 80% of new deliveries are for African carrier growth as intra-continent traffic rises

Boeing forecasts that Africa’s airlines will require 1,030 new airplanes by 2040 valued at $160 billion and aftermarket services such as manufacturing and repair worth $235 billion, enabling growth for air travel and economies across the continent. Boeing shared the projection as part of the 2021 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), the company’s long-term assessment of demand for commercial airplanes and services.

Africa’s strong, long-term growth prospects for commercial aviation are closely tied to the continent’s projected 3% annual economic growth over the next 20 years. Initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area and Single African Air Transport Market are expected to stimulate trade, air travel and economic cooperation. Additionally, the region’s middle class and working population is projected to double by the end of the forecast period, driving increased demand for air travel, according to Boeing.

“Africa has healthy opportunities to expand travel and tourism, coinciding with increasing urbanization and rising incomes,” said Randy Heisey, Boeing managing director of Commercial Marketing for Middle East and Africa. “African carriers are well-positioned to support inter-regional traffic growth and capture market share by offering services that efficiently connect passengers and enable commerce within the continent.”

The 2021 Africa CMO also includes these projections through 2040:

• Airlines in Africa will grow their fleets by 3.6% per year to accommodate passenger traffic growth of 5.4% annually, the third-highest growth rate in the world.
• Single-aisle jets are expected to account for more than 70% of commercial deliveries, with 740 new planes mainly supporting domestic and inter-regional demand. In addition, African carriers are estimated to need 250 new widebodies, including passenger and cargo models, to support long-haul routes and air freight growth.
• 80% of African jet deliveries are expected to serve fleet growth with more sustainable, fuel-efficient models such as the 737, 777X and 787 Dreamliner, with 20% of deliveries replacing older airplanes.

Estimated demand for aviation personnel will rise to 63,000 new professionals, including 19,000 pilots, 20,000 technicians and 24,000 cabin crew members.

Commercial services opportunities such as supply chain, manufacturing, repair and overhaul are valued at $235 billion.

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OTHER NEWS

• MORGAN STANLEY
  – The White House is adopting a new air travel policy that relies primarily on vaccinations to advance the resumption of international air travel to the U.S. beginning in November.
  – Southwest Airlines walks back its plan to place unvaccinated staff seeking medical and/or religious exemptions on unpaid leave after the December federal deadline.
  – Southwest also announced a 10-year environmental sustainability plan in support of the airline’s overall goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
• This is unbelievable:”Apple disclosed the M1 Pro transistor count to be at 33.7 billion, while the M1 Max bloats that up to 57 billion transistors.” Apple Announces M1 Pro & M1 Max: Giant New Arm SoCs with All-Out Performance
• What is AI? Morning Brew OK, now, what is 5G? Morning Brew
• Want to see how Airbus retrofits aircraft wings for installation of Sharklets? Airbus’ Sharklets: Ready for retrofit – YouTube Oh, you don’t know about how winglets work and what they do? Understanding Winglets; Drag; & How the Winglets Improve the Aerodynamic Efficiency on an Aircraft! – YouTube

PANASONIC AVIONICS

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) announced a new venture with Air Belgium to provide in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) solutions for the carrier’s new Airbus A330neo aircraft.

The agreement will see Air Belgium’s A330neo aircraft equipped with Panasonic Avionics’ renowned connectivity and mobile services, enhancing the onboard passenger experience.

The airline’s two new A330neos, the first of which entered into service this weekend, will be fitted with Panasonic Avionics’ full HD seatback monitors, complete with handsets, touch displays, and personalized interfaces.

Air Belgium’s passengers will also experience in-flight connectivity, powered by Panasonic Avionics’ global network of high-speed, high-bandwidth satellites, delivering a host of next-generation connectivity benefits such as fast internet and in-flight mobile phone services. The system will also feature ArcTM, Panasonic Avionics 3D in-flight moving map platform.

Ken Sain, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics, said, “We are delighted to be working with Air Belgium to enhance the passenger experience on their new fleet. By tailoring the way we offer our award-winning solutions to meet the individual needs of carriers, we are able to create a product portfolio that can fit every airline’s business model.”

“Our in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions will help Air Belgium strengthen their long-haul operations and drive customer satisfaction as they look to grow in the years ahead.”

By adopting Panasonic Avionics’ industry-leading IFEC solutions, airlines can offer a powerful onboard experience to increase brand loyalty, while delivering fresh, personalized content to passengers across the world.

Niky Terzakis, Chief Executive Officer at Air Belgium, said, “We are thrilled to be joining forces with Panasonic Avionics to continue to enrich and elevate our onboard experience. Their flexibility and innovative approach in delivering IFE and connectivity perfectly complements our internal resources and strategy.”

More Panasonic News:

Middle East Airlines-Air Liban (MEA) has started a two-month trial of Panasonic Avionics’ in-flight Live Television service.

The service was rolled out on MEA’s fleet of nine Airbus A321neoLR aircraft on the 1st of October 2021, helping passengers to Never Miss A Moment™ with a wide range of premium news and live sporting events.

Panasonic Avionics’ Live Television service connects passengers to unmissable on-the-ground entertainment from the comfort of their seats. The integrated service enables passengers to watch news channels including the BBC World and CNN International, along with live sporting action in partnership with Sport 24.

Sport 24 is provided exclusively by Panasonic Avionics and is the world’s first and only live in-flight sports platform. It broadcasts 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, connecting airline passengers to over 16 hours of premium live content from over 30 different global sports leagues each day.

MEA’s customers will be able to enjoy all the live action from the world’s top sporting events, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, all four Tennis Grand Slams, all four Golf Majors, the NRL, the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, Bundesliga, and more.

The Live Television service onboard MEA’s aircraft will be powered by Panasonic Avionics’ in-flight connectivity services, and broadcast through its eX1 in-flight entertainment platform, both of which were launched on the airline’s A321neoLR fleet in 2020.

eX1 is designed specifically for narrowbody aircraft and offers elegant full HD seatback monitors, complete with touch displays and handsets, and an intuitive, personalized interface.

Andrew Mohr, Vice President of Digital Solutions for Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said, “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Middle East Airlines and to enhance the in-flight experience they provide by bringing live news and the world’s best sporting action to their passengers.”

Houssam Moghrabi, Head of In-flight Services at MEA, said, “Panasonic Avionics is a proven partner for MEA. The trial of their Live Television service is a natural next step following the installation of their state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems last year, which has been well received by our passengers.”

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INMARSAT

Inmarsat, a world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, celebrated the 1,000th installation and activation of its market-leading Jet ConneX inflight connectivity solution, cementing the company’s leadership in the business aviation market.

The milestone was celebrated with Inmarsat’s partners at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Las Vegas, USA and also coincides with the fifth anniversary of Jet ConneX. Since entering commercial service in November 2016, Jet ConneX has quickly developed into the business aviation industry’s gold standard inflight connectivity service, offering the same level of reliable, consistent and high-speed broadband in the air that was previously only available on the ground.

Powered by Inmarsat’s global Ka-band satellite network Global Xpress, Jet ConneX is the preferred linefit option of all major business jet manufacturers, including Gulfstream, Bombardier and Dassault, and uses JetWave hardware by Honeywell Aerospace. Inmarsat has received type certificate and supplemental type certificate (STC) approvals for the service from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) across all popular platforms, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket maintenance repair and overhaul service providers (MROs).

The 1,000th activation comes at an important time for the business aviation industry. Following a period of turbulence over the past 18 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a recent survey commissioned by Inmarsat and Corporate Jet Investor (CJI) found that almost 80% of respondents around the world believe more frequent business aviation flights will be taken in the next year. A staggering 90% also feel online activities will dominate principals’ time in the air, almost evenly split between business and leisure.

Kai Tang, Inmarsat’s Head of Business Aviation, said: “The business world has evolved considerably since the onset of COVID-19 and during times of unprecedented turbulence and instability, business leaders cannot afford to be disconnected. As a result, we have experienced a rapid surge in demand for the fast, reliable and consistent inflight Wi-Fi that only Jet ConneX can deliver, wherever and whenever they fly. We believe this is a long-term trend that won’t level off as we come out of this COVID era.

“Therefore, the outlook is bright and we look forward to working with our partners to build on the momentum of the past five years, with 1,000 activations now achieved and many more to come. As part of these efforts, we are investing more than ever in several upcoming next-generation satellites, plus significant enhancements to our ground stations, hardware and software, all backed by world-class cybersecurity. This will amplify Jet ConneX capabilities even further and also result in unprecedented new L-band offerings to cement our long-term leadership in business aviation connectivity.”

Inmarsat recently unveiled plans for ORCHESTRA, the communications network of the future, which will bring existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellites together with low earth orbit satellites (LEO) and terrestrial 5G to form an integrated, high-performance solution, unmatched by any existing or planned competitor offering. ORCHESTRA boosts capacity in high-density areas such as at airports, eliminating congested network ‘hot spots’ and ensuring the connectivity needs of business aviation customers continue to be met well into the future, with capacity scaled directly to match their requirements.

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BURRANA

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ASTRONICS

Astronics Corporation, a leading provider of advanced technologies for global aerospace, defense and other mission critical industries, announced that it has closed on the sale of its facility in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for total consideration of $9.1 million. Net proceeds were approximately $8.7 million in cash. The Company expects to record a gain in the fourth quarter of 2021 of approximately $5.0 million. The sale was a result of the consolidation of the DME lighting and safety operations into its East Aurora, NY operations.

The Company also confirmed that it entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation under the Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection Program, or AMJP, for a grant of up to $14.7 million. Astronics received the first installment of $7.3 million under the grant in September. The Company expects to receive a second installment in the range of $5 million to $6 million during the fourth quarter of 2021 and a final installment in the second or third quarter of 2022 upon final confirmation of meeting its grant commitments.

Astronics was required to make several commitments to qualify for the program, including a commitment not to furlough or lay off a defined group of employees during the period of performance. The grant benefit will be recognized ratably over a six-month performance period as an offset to cost of goods sold. The contribution to gross profit by quarter is expected to be $1.1 million in the third quarter of 2021, $7.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 and $6.2 million in the first quarter of 2022.

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BOEING

Ted Colbert, president and CEO of Boeing Global Services, has been named Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) for 2022 by U.S. Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine. The award, the highest honor in the long-running program, recognizes a public or private sector leader who has navigated business challenges and expanded opportunities for African-Americans in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Colbert leads Boeing’s aerospace services development and delivery model for commercial, government and aviation industry customers worldwide, focused on global supply chain and parts distribution, aircraft modifications and maintenance, digital solutions, aftermarket engineering, analytics and training.

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OTHER NEWS

• Heard about Sustainable Aero Lab? Sustainable Aero Lab Graduates
• How about a video to easily understand semiconductors? How Does a Transistor Work? – YouTube OR Transistors Explained – How transistors work – YouTube
• Ever wondered if fast charging might help electric plane engines? Flying Taxis Are Boosted By a New Superfast Charging System
• We have all been aware of the talk about the future of poor climate problems, and while this has nothing to do with inflight entertainment, this world had better develop a climate plan that saves the future. Interestingly, the West Coast Swinomish Native Americans have a strategy and are implementing it! How the Swinomish tribe has pioneered the fight against climate change – The Washington Post

PANASONIC AVIONICS

Panasonic Avionics is enhancing its in-flight Live Television sports offering with the addition of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

AFC’s competitions are being added to IMG’s Sport 24, the world’s first and only live in-flight sports platform, which is offered exclusively in-flight by Panasonic Avionics. These include all the major football championships in the Asia-Pacific region, including qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

It will join a wealth of other content on Sport 24 including NFL, NBA, NHL, tennis’ Grand Slams, golf’s Majors, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, AFC Champions League, European and Asian World Cup Qualifiers, and more.

Sport 24 broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, connecting airline passengers to more than 16 hours of premium live content from over 30 different global sports leagues each day. It creates a unique viewing experience for passengers – from the casual to the avid sports fan – which results in a dwell time almost three times higher than the most popular US sports channel.

Dominic Green, Senior Director, Digital Product Management of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said, “We are delighted to be enhancing the live sports we offer airlines across the globe with the addition of top-flight football from the Asia-Pacific region. Football is one of the most popular live sports we offer in-flight and we are confident that AFC tournaments will prove a hit with passengers from the outset.”

Richard Wise, Senior Vice President, Content and Channels, IMG’s media business, said, “We are delighted to bring Asia’s top national team and club competitions to our audiences and bolster our portfolio. Our long-standing relationship with Panasonic Avionics enables us to broadcast live sports coverage to passengers all over the world.”

The AFC is the governing body of Asian football and one of the six Confederations making up FIFA. Established in 1954 in Manila, the AFC is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and comprises 47 Member Associations.

Almost 1,000 aircraft across the globe are installed with Panasonic Avionics’ Live Television service, of which Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra are an integral part.

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SATCOM DIRECT

• SD adding SKYTRAC Iridium Certus products to SD Xperience portfolio
•  Deal enhances connectivity configuration options for SD customers globally
• SKYTRAC addition expands current broadband offering to satisfy increased demand

Satcom Direct, has signed a deal with SKYTRAC, a Canada-based provider of intelligent connectivity solutions for aviation, to become an exclusive reseller for the business aviation sector. The newly ratified agreement positions SD as a global reseller of SKYTRAC Iridium Certus® hardware and data services directly to business aviation jet owners, operators, and business aircraft manufacturers.

Aligning with the SD strategy, which offers customizable, robust connectivity solutions for aircraft of all sizes, the agreement immediately adds an impressive range of Iridium Certus products to the SD Xperience portfolio. A full suite of robust connectivity options, powered by the Iridium LEO Certus constellation are available to satisfy the increased demand for connectivity from all sizes of business aviation aircraft. The SKYTRAC offering meets both cabin and flight-deck communication requirements for a range of business aviation platforms through its compelling broadband solutions.

“What sets us apart within the industry is our consultancy service that streamlines connectivity acquisition and ensures a seamless service that’s easier to manage. The addition of the SKYTRAC component enables a greater variety of options for owners and operators of business jets of all sizes, to receive consistent, secure, reliable connectivity, now. It also boosts our mixed fleet offering which, as we add more and more fleets worldwide to our roster, adds real value for the customer. We are proud to have partnered with one of the industry’s most respected Iridium Certus suppliers,” says Chris Moore, President, Satcom Direct Business Aviation.

The SKYTRAC products and services bring even more flexibility to the SD Xperience portfolio to support internet browsing, email, voice, and text services in the cabin, even on smaller aircraft. Flight-deck tools include improved situational awareness through flight tracking, weather alerts, and FANS capabilities. The additional products augment the SD commitment to provide cabin and flight-deck communications services, aircraft connectivity hardware, data management, and flight operations software, from a single resource. The SD Xperience portfolio delivers purpose-built technology to satisfy the unique, evolving requirements of business aviation, and gives SD the capabilities to create tailored, customer-driven solutions. In addition, all SD SKYTRAC customers will benefit from the award-winning SD 24/7/365 customer support.

“SD has gained impressive global market share of the business aviation sector and is dedicated to empowering owners by harnessing the full potential of data connectivity. This new relationship immediately broadens our potential customer base,” said Jan van der Heul, Vice President Sales of SKYTRAC. “The SD market penetration, combined with the expansion of the SD Xperience portfolio with the SKYTRAC products, adds up to a powerful connectivity offering for the international business aviation market. We’re excited to work with SD to bring our products to a much wider audience.”

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THALES

Vantis and Thales Partner to Build Nation’s First Statewide BVLOS Network

Vantis, North Dakota’s Statewide Unmanned Aircraft Systems Network, has selected a long-term systems integrator to build out this groundbreaking UAS, or drone, infrastructure across the state. Thales, a global technology leader, was one of three aviation giants providing engineering and integration services being evaluated to enable BVLOS UAS flights on Vantis. A state selection committee made up of members from the North Dakota Department of Commerce and Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS), which administers Vantis, selected Thales as the long-term systems integrator for Vantis design, operations and maintenance.

“We’re excited for the next phase of our partnership with Thales,” said James Cieplak, program manager of Vantis. “They were chosen not only because of their outstanding technical performance and innovative approach to building this system, but because they provide the best long-term value to the state. Thales shares our vision for what a partnership of this magnitude could achieve, and for Vantis as the future of the UAS industry.”

One of the major barriers to commercial UAS flights – package deliveries, infrastructure inspections, search and rescue efforts – is that UAS currently must remain within visual line of sight of the pilot. Vantis is a State of North Dakota-funded technology infrastructure that uses radar, radios, and other communications equipment on towers distributed throughout the state to provide command, control, and situational awareness to UAS pilots flying aircraft within the network’s coverage area. With Vantis, UAS pilots can see and avoid obstacles and fly safely at a distance – which means commercial UAS flights that are economically feasible and scalable to the size of business.

“North Dakota continues to be the nation’s proving ground for the testing, training and commercialization of unmanned aircraft systems, and this partnership with Thales to build out the first-of-its-kind Vantis statewide network will help cement our state’s reputation as a UAS leader,” said North Dakota Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford, who chairs the Northern Plains Unmanned Systems Authority. “Our state’s nearly $50 million investment in this groundbreaking technology is attracting companies, jobs and entrepreneurs and diversifying our economy for the benefit of all North Dakotans.”

As the systems integration partner for Vantis, Thales will deploy new communications and surveillance infrastructure in phases across the state. This infrastructure will be supported by a Mission and Network Operations Center (MNOC) that uses the State of North Dakota’s fiber optic telecommunications network along with robust digital services deployed on cloud-based infrastructure to support operational resilience.

Vantis infrastructure has been installed at key sites in western North Dakota, where testing is currently underway. Testing standards were developed in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure they are rigorous, do not interfere with existing manned aviation operations, and to prove the safety and reliability of Vantis moving forward. Currently, approvals to fly BVLOS must be obtained directly from the FAA on an individual basis. Working with the FAA as the Vantis network is built out and proven will enable any operator who flies on the network to receive the appropriate approvals to facilitate true BVLOS flights – something that does not exist at this scale anywhere in the country.

“BVLOS operations are the greatest economic driver for sustained commercial UAS use-cases and, until now, there hasn’t been any common, or shared-use, infrastructure to support routine BVLOS operations,” said Todd Donovan, Vice President, Airspace Mobility Solutions, Americas, Thales. “Ultimately, the approach for unmanned systems with Vantis in North Dakota will likely shape how we approach UAS integration more broadly.”

As the system matures, Vantis will continue its expansion across the state. The expansion strategy targets areas with existing use cases where commercial interests and capable UAS operators intersect, such as the initial stage in North Dakota’s Bakken oil fields. The second stage of implementation will include the Red River Valley, priming Vantis to support businesses in two of the state’s largest metropolitan areas as well as one of the major agricultural regions in the state. Then, Vantis will begin connecting these major economic powerhouse areas across North Dakota.

“BVLOS flights are the future of UAS. They are how we achieve repeatable, scalable, economically viable commercial UAS services,” said Trevor Woods, interim executive director of NPUASTS. “Vantis, through our partnership with Thales USA, is making that future a reality. We’re building the blueprint for commercial BVLOS flights across the country.”

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IATA

Mehmet T. Nane, CEO of Pegasus Airlines, has been appointed Chair of the IATA Board of Governors at The International Air Transport Association’s 77th Annual General Assembly, to commence his term in June 2022. Mehmet T. Nane, who will serve as the first Turkish Chair of the IATA Board of Governors, will commence his term at the 78th Annual General Assembly to be held in Shanghai on 19-21 June 2022, succeeding the current Chair of the Board of Governors Robin Hayes. Mehmet T. Nane will serve until the conclusion of the 79th Annual General Assembly in 2023. With this appointment, Mehmet T. Nane will also become a Member of the IATA’s Chair Committee and this Chair Committee Membership will last three terms as an elected, active and former Chair of the Board of Governors.

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OTHER NEWS

Stay up on this airplane –  Widebody Challenger: The CRAIC CR929 Is Now Under Production – YouTube Russia and China are building it!

PANASONIC

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) has named Kent D. Craver to lead the company’s marketing activities, effective today.

As Senior Director, Kent will shape the company’s marketing efforts with responsibility for Panasonic Avionics’ global brand, and digital marketing transformation, with the goal of becoming the world’s leading brand for delivering an extraordinary passenger in-flight experience.

He will lead a global, multi-disciplinary team including the Brand, Marketing, Digital Marketing and Market Analysis groups. Kent will report to Andy Masson, Panasonic Avionics’ Vice President of Product and Portfolio Management.

Andy Masson, Vice President of Product Management, said, “Kent has a proven track record in delivering results in customer engagement, brand management and passenger experience. I am confident he will be a valuable addition to Panasonic Avionics and I am delighted to welcome him to our team.”

Kent has over 25 years of experience in the aviation industry. For 12 years, he was Regional Director – Cabin Experience and Revenue Analysis at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. His responsibilities included identifying passenger preferences and airline requirements, using that information to guide product development and helping carriers configure their aircraft to maximize profitability.

He joined Boeing in 2007 from Continental Airlines, where he managed Onboard Product Marketing and Research, with the responsibility for developing and maintaining the branding and customer experience aspects of the carrier’s onboard products.

Kent Craver said, “Panasonic Avionics Corporation is the world’s leading in-flight entertainment and connectivity provider. I’m excited to be leading the marketing team as we evolve the company’s brand to reflect the way it is transforming the passenger experience.”

An active participant and speaker in various industry forums, Kent also served two separate terms as president of the World Airline Entertainment Association (now APEX). He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

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NetForecast

NetForecast, a leading provider of Internet performance measurement services, has named Mary Rogozinksi Director of Aviation Business Development. Mary has been a leader in the inflight entertainment and communications industry for over 30 years. In her new role, Mary is responsible for strategy, marketing, sales, and account management—working with airlines, inflight connectivity providers, business aviation partners, and other transportation–related companies to improve the passenger Wi–Fi experience. NetForecast recently unveiled its QMap® Inflight Internet Experience Monitoring service, which continuously measures the passenger Wi–Fi experience from personal electronic devices, and reports on end–to–end network experience quality in near real–time.

As current Chair of the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Connectivity Working Group (CWG), Mary leads the effort to document metrics for measuring the inflight connectivity passenger experience. Through her work at United, SmartSky, and Gogo, she was instrumental in introducing inflight connectivity to airlines, and helped launch the service on American, Alaska, and AirTran Airways. Mary has been actively involved in the inflight entertainment and connectivity industry throughout her career. She served as a Director on the APEX Board, is a member of the Leadership Team for the APEX Technology Committee, and is a longstanding member and former Chair of the APEX Thought Leadership Committee. She has also served as President of APEX.

According to Rebecca Wetzel, NetForecast’s President: “NetForecast is delighted to welcome Mary Rogozinski to our team. Her deep understanding of the aviation industry and her long–standing commitment to improving the passenger experience make her the perfect fit for our mission to improve the Internet experience for aircraft passengers.”

NetForecast is a privately held company headquartered in Charlottesville VA. Its customers provide Internet service to over 62 percent of the nation’s broadband Internet subscribers.

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SATCOM DIRECT

Satcom Direct (SD) has confirmed successful functioning of the Plane Simple™ Antenna System during a series of transatlantic and European validation flights. In more than sixteen hours of testing amassed during a three-day mission, the tail-mounted, Ku-band Plane Simple Antenna System demonstrated its compatibility with the Intelsat FlexExec satellite network. Seamless data transmission was supported by the SD ecosystem of hardware, software, and terrestrial infrastructure, as it delivered consistent data streaming across multiple devices.

The SD Gulfstream G350 flight, confirmed the reliability of the new hardware, which has been developed specifically for business aviation. Constant data transmission verified the terminal’s functionality across the Intelsat FlexExec network, stressed the system, and proved its capabilities across a range of aerial dynamics. The flight transitioned between three satellites on the Intelsat network as the aircraft flew along the east coast of the USA, across the North Atlantic, and on to Ireland, before returning back to base in Melbourne, FL.

The beam transmission was flawless as more than 29 GB of data was transmitted during the flight trials across Intelsat’s multi-layered, redundant, high-throughput satellite network. The SDR® Gateway router supported Wi-Fi distribution to numerous personal electronic devices in the cabin, enabling multiple streaming applications, video conferencing calls, and Live-TV, to be simultaneously active.

“This heralds a new era for business aviation as it confirms SD has successfully developed a powerful hardware system that supports unparalleled connectivity services from a single source supplier. Contacting just one company for all connectivity needs streamlines the ownership experience, enhances customer support, and demystifies the complexity of aviation connectivity,” says President of Satcom Direct Business Aviation, Chris Moore. “The results prove that SD can support high-definition data streams for numerous on-board users concurrently and demonstrates that we remain committed to optimizing the possibilities delivered by the digitization of aviation.”

The Plane Simple Antenna System delivers a number of firsts to the business aviation sector. It consists of only two LRUs, an antenna and a modem, both of which are easy to access, enabling seamless upgrade paths and maintenance. The modem is positioned in the unpressurized part of the aircraft which also returns valuable stowage space to the passenger and crew.

SD is now working on generating commercial Supplemental Type Certificates to support Plane Simple installations. It is anticipated the first will be for Falcon 2000 owners, with others to follow by the end of the year to support business, military, and government aviation customers.

The tail-mounted Plane Simple Ku-band antenna is the first in a series being developed by SD in partnership with Germany-based QEST Quantenelektronische Systeme GmbH, a worldwide market leader in innovative aeronautical antennas. Once activated it will support the Intelsat FlexExec Ku-band service, which has been designed as the only airtime service dedicated exclusively for business aviation.

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BOEING

The Boeing Company announced the appointment of Kuljit Ghata-Aura as the new president of Boeing Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META), excluding the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, effective Sept. 30.

Ghata-Aura, who is returning to the Middle East, Turkey and Africa region, will be based in Dubai. He will be responsible for leading all company-wide activities and developing and implementing strategies for a region that is home to some of Boeing’s largest commercial, defense and services customers.

Ghata-Aura, who previously served as the regional counsel for Boeing India, Middle East, Turkey and Africa for almost six years, will oversee the company’s new business and industrial partnership opportunities, safety and sustainability efforts, government affairs and corporate citizenship. He also will oversee Boeing’s efforts to expand its presence and strengthen its relationships with customers and other stakeholders in the region.

Ghata-Aura succeeds Bernie Dunn, who is leaving Boeing after more than nine years with the company in the region.

“It gives me great pleasure to announce the appointment of Kuljit Ghata-Aura as the new president of Boeing Middle East, Turkey and Africa. Kuljit brings a wealth of experience to the role from many of Boeing’s most important markets and businesses, including the Middle East, Turkey and Africa region, where he has spent considerable time. I look forward to working with Kuljit to drive further growth in the region,” said Sir Michael Arthur, president, Boeing International. “We thank Bernie for his great contribution to the growth of Boeing’s presence in the META region over the last seven years and wish him well for the future.”

Boeing’s presence in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa goes back several decades. Boeing has offices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, South Africa, Egypt, Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company also has several industrial and academic partnerships in the region. Today, the region is one of the world’s fastest-growing commercial airplane markets, and its defense needs are rapidly expanding.

“I am delighted to return to the Middle East, Turkey and Africa region in this significant leadership role and rejoin my colleagues as we continue to focus on partnering with all stakeholders in one of the fastest-growing and important markets for the company in META. Boeing has a strong presence in the region and there continues to be unique opportunities. We are, and continue to be, committed to working closely with the civil aviation and defense authorities and our customers to help achieve the region’s aerospace ambitions and objectives,” said Ghata-Aura.

Ghata-Aura joined Boeing in 2010 and has held several leadership roles for the company in Europe, Russia, Israel, India and the META region. In addition to being the regional counsel for Boeing India, Middle East, Turkey and Africa for almost six years, Ghata-Aura also held the role of director of market development for UAE from 2015-16. Prior to joining Boeing, Ghata-Aura was a partner at a large international firm practicing cross border mergers and acquisitions. He is a graduate of Oxford University.

Also From Boeing:

In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S., Boeing  announced a $1 million donation to organizations supporting Hispanic and Latinx communities. The investment package will fund 28 organizations working to strengthen appreciation for Hispanic and Latinx history and culture, increase STEM education curriculum in underserved schools, advance Latinx-focused leadership and workforce development programs and diversify the aerospace talent pipeline.

“We celebrate the contributions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans every year from Sept. 15-Oct. 15, but partnering in a practical way to support these communities every day can be life-changing,” said Susan Doniz, Boeing’s chief information officer, senior vice president of Information Technology & Data Analytics and executive sponsor of Boeing Familia, the company’s Hispanic and Latinx business resource group. “This grant will empower students, artists and families to tap into their creativity and turn possibility into reality, which not only has the power to transform communities, but also industries – and the world.”

The funding package includes support for the following organizations with a national focus:

• $300K: Hispanic Heritage Foundation – funding to develop a new program called Engineering on the Fast Track to introduce aerospace engineering concepts to underrepresented students across the country, based on its popular Coding as a Second Language program; and sponsorship of a new STEM category for the Hispanic Heritage Awards to honor the Latina NASA scientists working on the Mars Rover Mission
• $100K: Great Minds in STEM – funding will support the Viva Technology program which engages K-12 Latinx students, teachers and parents in STEM challenges
• $50K: National Association of Latino Arts and Culture – funding will support artists, projects, and organizations working to address challenges in urban and rural Latinx communities across the U.S.
• $25K: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers – funding to support the Pre-College and Community College Conference to provide parents and community college student members with the knowledge, resources and network they need to successfully transfer to four year universities
• Boeing’s contribution will also fund an additional 24 organizations providing support across 11 states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington.

A full list of partners receiving grants can be found here.

“The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is energized to partner with The Boeing Company, not only to recognize amazing Latina engineers like Christina Hernandez, Clara O’Farrell and Diana Trujillo, but also to inspire many more engineers through our new STEM initiative, Engineering on the Fast Track for Latino youth across the country,” said Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO, Hispanic Heritage Foundation.

“In addition, Boeing will be the exclusive sponsor of this year’s STEM Category at the Hispanic Heritage Awards where we will highlight three incredible and talented Latinas who are currently working on the MARS Rover Mission and demonstrating that anything is truly possible, whether here on earth or on another planet. Christina Hernandez, Clara O’Farrell and Diana Trujillo truly exemplify leadership in every way by proving that dreams can come true.”

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OTHER NEWS

• Here is a good family item if you travel a lot in this business and want to keep track of your family or older parents. Amazon just came out with Alexa Together – Check out the device in this article: Amazon Debuts a Picture-Frame Echo Show, Interactive Projector for Kids, and More – Review Geek
• Here is a great article on passenger flight issues: The biggest pain points in air travel and how to fix them – TNMT However, we really liked the chart inside on relevance and satisfaction. It finds current inflight entertainment third in line under “Nice-To-Haves”! Further, in the same TNNT article, this link is very interesting: Overcoming the airline industry’s mobile-app fiasco – TNMT Lastly, the Lufthansa Innovation TNMT article is really good! We suggest you subscribe … its free! Newsletter Subscriptions – TNMT

Boeing to Add 767-300BCF Conversion Lines at GAMECO to Meet Strong Market Demand

• Boeing will open two new 767-300BCF conversion lines next year at GAMECO in Guangzhou, China
•  GAMECO will be the first MRO to convert both the 737-800BCF and 767-300BCF

Boeing and Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Limited (GAMECO) announced plans to create additional capacity for the 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) to help meet continued strong market demand.

The agreement, revealed by the two companies during a signing ceremony at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, will expand freighter conversion capacity at GAMECO, opening two new 767-300BCF conversion lines next year.

“It was mutually beneficial to continue building our relationship with GAMECO to provide additional conversion capacity for the 767-300BCF while supporting growth in the region,” said Peter Gao, vice president, Boeing Commercial Sales and Marketing for China. “GAMECO has demonstrated excellent execution on the 737-800BCF program. We know it will bring the same expertise and proven capability to help deliver our medium widebody freighter conversions to our global customers.”

GAMECO will be the first MRO in China to convert the 767-300BCF and the only MRO converting both the 767-300BCF and the 737-800BCF. Earlier this year, GAMECO announced plans to open a third 737-800BCF conversion line.

“GAMECO is very proud to extend its relationship with Boeing and their converted freighter program to include another aircraft type,” said Norbert Marx, general manager, GAMECO. “The introduction of the 767-300BCF program further grows GAMECO’s regional presence and enhances our strategic focus around meeting the strong customer demand. We will open the 767-300BCF conversion lines in our new hangar.”

Boeing forecasts 1,720 freighter conversions will be needed over the next 20 years. Of those, 520 will be widebody conversions with Asia carriers accounting for more than 40 percent of that demand. The 767-300BCF has more than 95 orders and commitments.

Learn more about the Boeing Converted Freighters and the complete Boeing freighter family here.

GAMECO, established in October 1989 at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, is a joint venture between China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd. and Hutchison Whampoa (China) Ltd. from Hong Kong that specializes in aircraft and airborne component maintenance, repair and overhaul. GAMECO provides comprehensive, high-quality and highly efficient services to customers, covering line maintenance, base maintenance, component repair and overhaul, aircraft engineering, and training and technical service of ground-support equipment.

Boeing Charitable Trust:

Boeing is committing $1 million from the Boeing Charitable Trust to assist with disaster recovery and relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, the company announced. This includes a $500,000 donation to the American Red Cross that will help to bring shelter, food, water, relief supplies and other assistance to hard hit areas across the South, including Louisiana, and the Northeast United States.

The remaining $500,000 will fund additional local organizations to help communities with short and longer-term needs such as clean up, repairs and rebuilding, including:

• $100,000 to Greater New Orleans Foundation to support cleanup and recovery efforts in and around the city of New Orleans
• $100,000 to Bayou Recovery Fund to support cleanup and recovery efforts along the Louisiana Gulf Coast
  $100,000 to World Central Kitchen to provide nourishing meals for communities in need
• $75,000 to Food Bank of South Jersey to provide emergency food resources to those in need
• $75,000 to Community Food Bank of New Jersey to support food distribution across the state
• $50,000 to Combined Arms to support military veterans and their families who have been impacted by Hurricane Ida

Boeing Forecasts China’s 20-year Commercial Airplane Market Valued at Nearly $1.5 trillion:

Boeing forecasts that China’s airlines will require 8,700 new airplanes by 2040, valued at $1.47 trillion, to meet expanding commercial air travel demand. The 20-year forecast reflects the China market’s rebound and further evolution of its airline business models. Boeing shared the China forecast as part of the 2021 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), the company’s long-term forecast of demand for commercial airplanes and services.

China’s economic fundamentals lay the foundation for healthy air traffic increases, including 4.4% annual economic growth and a middle-income demographic that will double by 2040, according to the CMO. By 2030, China’s domestic passenger market will exceed intra-European traffic; by 2040, China’s domestic traffic is expected to also exceed air travel within North America.

The CMO also forecasts that China’s civil aviation industry will require more than 400,000 new aviation personnel by 2040, including pilots, technicians and cabin crew. Boeing’s commitment to China involves investing in people who will power the future of aviation, such as training nearly 100,000 Chinese aviation professionals and employing more than 2,500 Boeing employees. Across its businesses, training, supply chain and other activities, Boeing’s presence and partnerships in China contribute more than $1.5 billion annually to the economy.

“The rapid recovery of Chinese domestic traffic during the pandemic speaks to the market’s underlying strength and resilience,” said Richard Wynne, managing director, China Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “In addition, there are promising opportunities to significantly expand international long-haul routes and air freight capacity. Longer term, there is the potential for low-cost carrier growth to further build on single-aisle demand.”

The 2021 China CMO includes these projections through 2040:

• Annual passenger traffic growth of 5.4%, similar to the 2020 forecast.
• Two-thirds of deliveries supporting China’s aviation industry growth and one-third of deliveries for fleet replacement, which will move airlines toward more sustainable, fuel-efficient airplane models.
• Single-aisle jets account for nearly 6,500 deliveries; widebody deliveries, including passenger and cargo models, will total 1,850, accounting for 44% of demand by value. According to the CMO, a nearly $1.8 trillion commercial aviation services market opportunity exists in the region.

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ASTRONICS

Astronics Corporation, a provider of advanced technologies for global aerospace, defense and other mission critical industries, announced it was awarded a $19 million order from Collins Aerospace (“Collins”) for business jet connectivity equipment to be delivered in 2022. The order is a follow-on to the approximately $11 million order announced in February 2021.

The growing fleet employing Collins’ system is building customer recognition and confirming that LuxStream provides unparalleled high-speed world-wide connectivity that delivers a broad variety of remote conferencing services and streaming entertainment.

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VISION SYSTEMS

SAFRAN

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OTHER NEWS

• You need to see this because: “FLYR Labs has developed a deep learning platform called “Revenue Operating System” that ingests a whole host of data provided by the airline — bookings, accounting data, searches, capacity — as well as information like weather or promotions to predict demand, revenue and, most importantly, to set the price of the airline ticket that the consumer ultimately sees.” WestCap and Peter Thiel-backed FLYR Labs closes $150M Series C | TechCrunch This is going to be big because their deep learning platform will replace humans in aviation and many other businesses!
• Curious about the mobile apps used? Here is a great graphic with the answer – The World’s Most Used Apps, by Downstream Traffic

CRYSTAL CABIN

As part of the virtual Aircraft Interiors Expo 2021, the Crystal Cabin Awards in the special categories “Clean and Safe Air Travel” and “Judges’ Choice Award” have been presented for the first time. French cabin interiors specialist Safran won over the international expert jury in both categories. The two special categories were developed by a task force of jury members in response to the global coronavirus pandemic and its impact on aviation worldwide. 2022 is expected to see the leading international industry prize take place in person again as part of the key global trade show, the Aircraft Interiors Expo, drawing the who’s who of the commercial aviation industry to Hamburg as it regularly does.

“Clean & Safe Air Travel” is targeted at innovations for aircraft in the areas of health, hygiene, safety, and cleanliness. The “Judges’ Choice Award” has been designed for entries that would otherwise have been submitted in one of the eight regular categories, including Cabin Systems and In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity. These two special categories were developed by a task force of the Crystal Cabin Award Association, which is led by Hamburg Aviation, in collaboration with members of the expert jury, spread over four continents. For the first time, five finalists were shortlisted per category, rather than three. The awards ceremony for the eight main categories of this globally recognized prize for cabin innovations and on-board products was also broadcast in TV format in March 2021. For the virtual presentation of awards in the two new special categories, the digital Aircraft Interiors Expo on 15 September represented the ideal setting.

Hygiene concepts for the aircraft cabin competed neck-and-neck in the “Clean and Safe Air Travel” category. In the end, Safran Cabin took the honors with its “Beacon Clean Lavatory”. This innovative bathroom concept represented the company’s response to increased passenger hygiene expectations, combining antibacterial surfaces with hands-free features. Speaking from Hamburg’s ZAL Center for Applied Aeronautical Research, Carsten Laufs, Vice President Product and Innovation Management of Crystal Cabin partner Diehl Aviation congratulated the winners.

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INMARSAT

Inmarsat, a leader in global mobile satellite communications,  announced the launch of its innovative new OneFi customer experience platform for airlines. The first-of-its-kind solution will serve as a catalyst to monetize inflight connectivity by bringing a host of onboard services together within a single portal interface, which passengers can easily access using their own personal devices.

OneFi delivers a rich airline-branded digital platform to enhance the passenger experience onboard flights. It allows passengers to order food and beverages, purchase seat upgrades, receive the latest flight and destination information, and sign-up to the airline’s frequent flyer programs, all in real-time from the comfort of their seat. In addition, passengers can browse the internet, stream videos and audio, shop online and enjoy other e-commerce offerings, using high-speed inflight broadband that airlines could choose to offer free-of-charge, funded through OneFi’s sponsorship and advertising features.

The launch of OneFi comes at a critical time for airlines, with the global pandemic having accelerated passenger demand for digital inflight experiences. Inmarsat’s recent 2021 Passenger Confidence Tracker, the largest and most comprehensive global survey of its kind since the pandemic began, found that digital solutions that keep passengers connected and minimize their contact with cabin crew and fellow passengers can go a long way in boosting confidence. In addition, out of the 10,000 respondents worldwide, 41% believed inflight Wi-Fi had increased in importance after the pandemic.

Philip Balaam, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “For many years, Inmarsat has advocated the vast commercial opportunities of inflight connectivity. However, until now, airlines have struggled to realize the full potential of the business model. OneFi is a step change for those looking to monetize their Wi-Fi services and ensure they keep pace with evolving passenger needs. It will empower a digital transformation in the cabin, which is especially important at this critical time for the aviation industry.

“OneFi allows airlines to improve their brand experience and secure passenger loyalty, with the flexibility to incorporate their own services and use existing and new partners, such as content providers, advertisers and retailers. We are in advanced discussions with leading airlines about adopting this innovative new platform and expect to see a rollout with our first OneFi customer by the end of this year.”

In recent years, airlines have continued to increase their focus on unlocking new revenue streams through broadband-enabled ancillary services. The market for digital inflight advertising alone is forecast to grow from $266 million today to $3.3 billion by 2030, representing a 10-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42.9% between 2020 and 2030, according to Valour Consulting. The launch of OneFi is a significant step in turning that untapped commercial opportunity into a reality.

What truly sets OneFi apart is its industry grade targeting features, media inventory and calls-to-action that are made available to the airline and its partners. These ensure that content is contextual and relevant to the individual passenger. It also enables partners to engage in more meaningful ways with passengers and boost sales lead generation rates. The platform’s intuitive, user-friendly interface will enable airlines to boost passenger take-up rates and create a frictionless funnel to purchase.

In addition, OneFi is network agnostic and uses open architecture, meaning it can integrate with any technology infrastructure and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) used by airlines, ensuring a uniform experience across mixed aircraft fleets. The platform is also scalable, giving airline customers the flexibility to add new third-party services over time and helping to future proof their onboard offering.

Inmarsat is transforming global aviation by bringing complete connectivity to aircraft and flight paths across the world. It recently unveiled plans for ORCHESTRA, the communications network of the future, which will bring existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellites together with low earth orbit satellites (LEO) and terrestrial 5G to form an integrated, high-performance solution, unmatched by any existing or planned competitor offering. ORCHESTRA allows capacity to be boosted in high-density areas such as at airports, eliminating congested network ‘hot spots’ and ensuring the connectivity needs of aviation customers are met well into the future, with capacity scaled directly to match their requirements.

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LUFTHANSA SYSTEMS

Lufthansa Systems will welcome around 500 participants to the 14th edition of the Airline Forum, one of the industry’s leading airline IT user community conferences. The airline IT provider is bringing together about 80 airlines from across the globe who use its Ground Operations and Commercial Solutions. During this year’s edition of the Airline Forum, entitled “Back in the sky,” the user community will continue its dialogue in a fully virtual environment in which attendees will learn about forward-looking solutions and pioneering technologies for managing dynamic market situations.

Olivier Krueger and Dr. Thomas Wittmann, both CEOs of Lufthansa Systems, will kick off the event with their opening remarks, welcoming speakers from Air Canada, Avianca Holdings, Cathay Pacific Airways, Eurowings, GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, Lufthansa and Trans States Holdings. Participants will be able to put together their own individual programs by choosing from a range of 48 presentations and workshops spread over the two days of the event.

“The world is changing, and the aviation industry is constantly facing new challenges. Thanks to our close partnership with our customers, we understand how this dynamic environment affects their business,” said Olivier Krueger, CEO of Lufthansa Systems. “We greatly value this mutual exchange with and within the community and consider it vital to the successful recovery and sustainable future of our industry.”

Latest developments unveiled for Lufthansa Systems’ NetLine and Commercial Solutions

The Airline Forum will break new ground by showcasing Lufthansa Systems’ latest developments covering ground operations and commercial management processes.

In keeping with the NetLine vision of “together we connect to make the best decision ahead of time,” Lufthansa Systems is pointing the way to a future of connected, cloud-native software. From network and schedule planning, through codeshare, crew and load management, to operations control, NetLine improves productivity and speeds up decision-making, rollout and execution, increasing revenue and reducing costs.

The NetLine/HubDesigner was developed in response to the current market situation, where demand and the competitive landscape are subject to dynamic and sweeping change. The solution uses AI to create the best (multi-)hub network at an unmatched speed. Changed schedules also mean changed codeshare connections. SchedConnect helps airlines manage their codeshare operations by automating connection building and schedule exchange. Another critical bottleneck in ramping up and down networks is crews and their qualifications. Lufthansa Systems has developed a new Qualification and Training Management module for NetLine/Crew to always have up-to-date information on the certification state of cockpit and cabin crews and plan qualification and re-qualification in due time.

Lufthansa Systems has also designed sophisticated solutions that perfectly support revenue management and pricing processes, the cornerstones of an airline’s commercial strategy. The ProfitLine/Price fare management solution helps airlines keep fares profitable and competitive, while the Revenue Integrity software keeps the inventory up to date.

“Lufthansa Systems has 25 years of experience in building forward-looking IT solutions and is committed to helping airlines move forward,” said Dr. Thomas Wittmann, CEO of Lufthansa Systems. “Airlines benefit from our scalable solutions that enable our customers to better cope with volatile demand through automation, optimization, and data-driven decision-making.”

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MORGAN-STANLEY

The White House aims to advance the future of sustainable fuels in American aviation. Last week, the Biden Administration published a factsheet on the future of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), targeting carbon neutrality in the aviation sector by 2050. The new initiative aims to produce 3 bn gallons of sustainable fuel, reduce aviation emissions by 20% by 2030, and grow good-paying union jobs. Today, aviation (including all non-military flights within and departing from the U.S.) represents ~11% of United States transportation-related emissions. Due to this, and the increased focus on sustainability throughout the industry, several airlines have already made commitments to ramp up the use of SAF and advance sustainability across their operations: United (UAL) announced a new goal to reduce its carbon emissions intensity by 50% compared to 2019 by 2035 and also committed to purchasing 1.5bn gallons of SAF over the next 20 years from Alder Fuels, Delta (DAL) committed to replacing 10% of its current jet fuel use with SAFs from 3 producers (Neste, Gevo, and Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels), American (AAL) plans to procure 10 million gallons of SAF from Prometheus Fuels by 2025, Alaska (ALK) offers the purchase of SAF to offset corporate travel on key routes, Southwest (LUV) is partnering with the National Renewable Energy Lab, and JetBlue (JBLU) is committed to electric and hydrogen aircraft development. We generally see the industry as broad beneficiaries from both increased fuel efficiencies as well as more commercially viable solutions for fuel.

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BOEING

The Boeing Company named Ziad S. Ojakli as the company’s executive vice president of government operations effective October 1, 2021.

In this role, Ojakli will lead Boeing’s public policy efforts, serve as chief lobbyist for the global enterprise, and oversee Boeing Global Engagement, the company’s global philanthropic organization. He will report to Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun and will serve on the company’s Executive Council. In this role, Ojakli succeeds Marc Allen, Boeing’s Chief Strategy Officer, who has served as interim executive vice president of Government Operations since this past June.

“Ziad is a proven executive with an impressive track record of leading public policy and government relations operations for global companies,” said Calhoun. “His broad experience serving in executive roles in government and the private sector will contribute to our engagement with our stakeholders as we continue our focus on safety, quality and transparency, and transforming our company for the future. I also want to thank Marc Allen for his impactful leadership of our Government Operations organization in recent months as it has continued to advance our company’s policy priorities.”

Ojakli joins Boeing following a successful and diverse career in senior global government relations roles in the automotive and finance industries in addition to serving within the White House administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush.

Most recently, Ojakli served as the managing partner and senior vice president of Softbank from 2018-20, where he created and led the investment company’s first global government affairs operation in support of all legislative, regulatory and political matters for the company. Prior to joining Softbank, Ojakli spent 14 years at Ford Motor Company as group vice president, where he led a global team that amplified the company’s core business objectives and managed interactions with governments in 110 markets around the world. In that role, he also directed Ford’s philanthropic arm devoted to supporting global causes.

Previously, Ojakli served in the White House as Principal Deputy for Legislative Affairs for President George W. Bush from 2001-04. Earlier, Ojakli was Chief of Staff and Policy Director for U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell and he began his career in the office of U.S. Senator Dan Coats.

Ojakli currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. and he is a board member of The Jackie Robinson Foundation.

Ojakli holds a bachelor’s degree in American Government from Georgetown University.

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AVOLON

Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company, announces a partnership with Gol, Brazil’s largest airline and Grupo Comporte, Brazil’s leading transport operator, to commercialize an eVTOL ride sharing platform in Brazil.

Avolon, Gol and Grupo Comporte will collaborate to identify and target local partners, infrastructure and certification requirements across a range of commercial models, launching one of the world’s first eVTOL ride sharing businesses. As part of the agreement, Gol and Grupo Comporte has committed to purchase or lease up to 250 VA-X4 eVTOL aircraft.

The VA-X4, manufactured by Vertical Aerospace, will be the most advanced and safest eVTOL in the market on its introduction in 2024. Avolon is a launch customer for the aircraft which can transport four passengers and one pilot distances of 100 miles at up to 200 miles per hour. eVTOLs are central to the future of transport. They introduce the ultra-short-haul aircraft category to commercial aviation and will revolutionize air travel with VA-X4 zero emissions aircraft.

This announcement means Avolon already has commitments for over half of its order for 500 VA-X4 aircraft which was announced in June 2021.

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OTHER NEWS

• Have you seen “The Flying Bum” anywhere? Photos: See What It’s Like Inside the Airlander 10 Aircraft
• You might want to see this if you are interested in Boeing’s new anti-collision plane lights – The Boeing Company on Twitter: “Accelerating innovation: we’re testing new LED anti-collision lights on this year’s #ecoDemonstrator that reduces drag to improve fuel efficiency and provides 360° visibility. More on our partnership with @AlaskaAir to take concepts from lab to flight: https://t.co/foyucwkRvH https://t.co/GDwiyOyRxA” / Twitter
• We really believe the importance of Laser Diodes will be in your future. Don’t think so? Check this article out – Laser Diodes – May The Force Be With You | Seeking Alpha Here is one reason: “Light passing down optical glass fibre is able to transmit much more data per second than electricity passing down copper wire. Moreover, wave-division multiplexing techniques enable a single fibre to transmit multiple beams of light, each of a slightly different wavelength, enabling a fibre optic cable to handle even more data and supporting the expansion of the internet that we have today.” And, this is really of value airborne!
• It looks like Airbus is developing a fully electric vehicle: Airbus reveals the next generation of CityAirbus – Helicopters – Airbus

PANASONIC

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) has  announced an agreement with Russia’s largest airline, Aeroflot, to provide upgraded in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) solutions for its entire fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft.

The agreement will see Aeroflot’s fleet of Boeing 777-300ER aircraft retrofitted with Panasonic Avionics’ eX3 IFE system and satellite-based IFC system, creating an enhanced cabin experience for Aeroflot’s passengers.

This upgrade will allow Aeroflot’s Boeing 777 aircraft to deliver the same IFEC experience that is available on its Panasonic Avionics-equipped Airbus A350-900 fleet, which has been in service since March 2020.

Panasonic Avionics’ eX3 system features the industry’s largest selection of integrated entertainment options including full 1080p HD monitors, in-seat power, and HD video handsets with capacitive touch. It can deliver more than 700 hours of on-demand entertainment, offering 1080p content with enhanced video color support.

Aeroflot’s customers flying on its Boeing 777-300ERs will also be able to enjoy upgraded connectivity from Panasonic Avionics’ global communications network of high-speed, high-bandwidth satellites. The system delivers faster internet, video streaming, VoIP applications, mobile services, and dedicated bandwidth for crew applications.

The first of Aeroflot’s Boeing 777-300ERs to be retrofitted with Panasonic Avionics’ upgraded IFE and IFC systems flew in the middle of August.

Ken Sain, Chief Executive Officer at Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said, “We are delighted to deepen our longstanding relationship with Aeroflot. Our advanced eX3 in-flight entertainment system combined with our global, high-speed connectivity will enable Aeroflot to deliver an industry-leading passenger experience.”

This latest commitment from Aeroflot marks a further milestone in its longstanding partnership with Panasonic Avionics, which first commenced in 2008. Aeroflot’s fleet of Airbus A320neos and A321neos are also both fitted with Panasonic Avionics’ latest in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions.

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INMARSAT

Inmarsat, a world leader in global mobile satellite communications, announced the launch of its advanced new Velaris connectivity solution, which is uniquely positioned to serve as a catalyst for the safe and rapid growth of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) industry.

Powered by the Inmarsat ELERA global satellite network, Velaris will provide secure communications for commercial UAVs – commonly known as drones – to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and seamlessly integrate with aircraft in commercial airspace. Backed by military grade cybersecurity, it allows operators to send their UAVs on long distance flights and access various applications, such as real-time monitoring, to ensure safe integration with other air traffic. In addition, Velaris allows a single pilot to remotely operate multiple UAVs at scale, making operations more commercially viable.

Over the next seven years, the commercial UAV market is projected to increase from $2.32 billion in 2021 to $11.29 billion in 2028, marking a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.39% during this period1. This will have a far-reaching impact on various aspects of business and society, ranging from cargo delivery, urban transport and surveillance to emergency services and disaster relief, including the supply of critical items such as medicine, test kits and food for remote communities.

To support this fast-paced growth, Velaris will unlock unprecedented new digital automation capabilities within the UAV industry, leading to significant advances in safety, productivity, customer service, location access and accuracy, while also reducing the overall cost of operations. Importantly, it will also support the transport of people and goods in an environmentally friendly manner.

Anthony Spouncer, Inmarsat’s Senior Director of UAVs and Unmanned Traffic Management, said: “Commercial UAVs have the potential to revolutionize a vast array of different industries throughout the world. However, to truly unlock their potential on a commercial scale, it is imperative that autonomous vehicles and unmanned aviation are safely and securely integrated into managed commercial airspace. That’s exactly what Velaris, as Inmarsat’s first global UAV connectivity solution, will deliver.

“Inmarsat’s unparalleled experience in air traffic management and aviation safety, combined with our established track record in civil and military UAV communications, ensures that we can support global regulators, air navigation service providers and UAV operators with seamless airspace integration. In addition, thanks to our ambitious and fully-funded technology roadmap, including our brand new ORCHESTRA communications network of the future, Velaris will continue to develop and evolve alongside the UAV industry, remaining its gold standard connectivity solution for decades to come.”

Inmarsat was recently crowned winner at the prestigious Air Traffic Management (ATM) Magazine Awards for its Pop-Up Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) Platform, developed with Altitude Angel. Furthermore, Inmarsat is well-integrated in the air traffic management industry as a consortium member of Cranfield University’s recently opened Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC). The company participates in several projects that aim to revolutionise the future of flight, including the UK Government funded Project HEART (Hydrogen Electric and Automated Regional Transportation) – which is developing the country’s first automated, zero carbon regional air transportation network – and Airspace of the Future (AoF) – which focuses on integrating UAV services with the wider UK transport ecosystem.

“We work with our global partner ecosystem to develop UAV terminals that deliver smaller, more cost effective multi datalink solutions,” added Spouncer. “These are optimized for a wide range of use cases so that our customers can always have the highest possible standard of connectivity. I’m pleased to launch Velaris today. Coming soon after the launch of Inmarsat ORCHESTRA and ELERA, this truly emphasizes Inmarsat’s long-term commitment to the commercial UAV market.”

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COLLINS AEROSPACE

Collins Aerospace, a Raytheon Technologies business, unveiled Lilac-UV, an ultraviolet (UV) lighting solution to sanitize aircraft interiors nearly anywhere a light is installed inside an aircraft.

Lilac-UV emits a slight violet light that disinfects surfaces in seconds to minutes, depending on lamp configuration and specific pathogen. Lilac-UV can be applied in lavatories, galleys, flight decks, cargo bays and throughout the cabin, and can be set for scheduled cleanings or manual applications during or between flights. The sanitizing light, combined with other hygienic measures taken onboard aircraft, gives added peace of mind and protection to passengers while also reducing aircraft downtime for manual cleaning.

Lilac-UV uses technology developed by The Boeing Company  as part of a licensing agreement granting Collins the ability to build on Boeing’s UV technology for in-flight operation.

“At the heart of this project is the desire to continue to build the public’s trust and confidence in air travel as passengers return to the skies,” said Cynthia Muklevicz, vice president of business development for Collins Aerospace. “Collins and Boeing share the common goal to redefine air travel, a commitment to collaboration and the technical research and development expertise to bring this game-changing, hygienic technology to market for the benefit of air-travelers around the world.”

The new Collins-developed sanitizing lighting system operates with an intelligent dosage controller – for scheduled cleanings and manual treatments – and an occupancy detector for enclosed spaces, like an airplane lavatory.

“Our design allows for installation anywhere in the cabin with minimal or no hardware design changes, enabling users to switch to a higher power lamp or change the number of lamps based on application,” said Bridget Sheriff, vice president of engineering at Collins Aerospace. “The intelligent controller automatically adjusts to manage power consumption and offers scientifically proven disinfection of spaces during and between flights.”

A finalist for the 2021 Crystal Cabin Award in the “Clean & Safe Air Travel” category, the Lilac-UV sanitizing system will be available for new cabins or retrofittable to existing interior spaces.

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THALES

Thales and AJW Group have signed an avionics maintenance services agreement including Repair By The Hour (RBTH) covering Airbus A320CEO, A320NEO and A330 fleets of major European airlines.

With Thales, AJW has a trusted Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partner for repairs securing reliable worldwide support. The main repair shop serving AJW is located in Châtellerault, France.

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BOEING

You might find the Boeing Market Outlook (2021-2040) interesting! Boeing: Aerospace Commercial, Defense, & Crew Market Outlook

Boeing forecasts $9 trillion aerospace market opportunities in commercial, defense and services over next decade.

• Boeing Market Outlook forecasts continued path to long-term growth, with signs of industry recovery
• Over 10 years, the 2021 BMO shows $9 trillion addressable market, up from $8.5 trillion in 2020
• Increased demand for dedicated freighters, including new and converted models

Boeing released its annual forecast for the commercial, defense and space aerospace market, reflecting signs of the industry’s recovery following the impacts of COVID-19. The 2021 Boeing Market Outlook (BMO) – Boeing’s analysis of long-term market dynamics – states that commercial airplanes and services are showing signs of recovery, while the global defense, space and government services markets have remained stable.

The BMO projects a $9 trillion market over the next decade for aerospace products and services that Boeing addresses. The forecast is up from $8.5 trillion a year ago, and up from $8.7 trillion in the pre-pandemic 2019 forecast, reflecting the market’s continued recovery progress.

“As our industry recovers and continues to adapt to meet new global needs, we remain confident in long-term growth for aerospace,” said Boeing Chief Strategy Officer Marc Allen. “We are encouraged by the fact that scientists have delivered vaccines more rapidly than imaginable and that passengers are demonstrating strong confidence in airplane travel.”

Commercial Market Outlook

The new Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) reflects that the global market is recovering largely as Boeing projected in 2020. Demand for domestic air travel is leading the recovery, with intra-regional markets expected to follow as health and travel restrictions ease, followed by long-haul travel’s return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023 to 2024.

Within the Boeing Market Outlook, the CMO projects 10-year global demand for 19,000 commercial airplanes valued at $3.2 trillion. Boeing’s 20-year commercial forecast through 2040 projects demand for more than 43,500 new airplanes valued at $7.2 trillion, an increase of about 500 planes over last year’s forecast.

In a significant area of growth, projected demand has increased for dedicated freighters, including new and converted models. With sustained demand for air cargo tied to expanding e-commerce and air freight’s speed and reliability, the CMO projects the global freighter fleet in 2040 will be 70% larger than the pre-pandemic fleet.

“The aerospace industry has made important progress in the recovery, and Boeing’s 2021 forecast reflects our confidence in the resilience of the market,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “While we remain realistic about ongoing challenges, the past year has shown that passenger traffic rebounds swiftly when the flying public and governments have confidence in health and safety during air travel. Our industry continues to serve an essential role of bringing people together and transporting critical supplies.”
Highlights of the new 20-year CMO forecast include:

• The availability and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be critical factors in the near-term recovery of passenger air travel. Countries with more widespread vaccination distribution have shown rapid air travel recovery, as governments ease domestic restrictions and open borders to international travel.
• Passenger traffic growth is projected to increase by an average of 4% per year, unchanged from last year’s forecast.
• The global commercial fleet will surpass 49,000 airplanes by 2040, with China, Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific countries each accounting for about 20% of new airplane deliveries, and the remaining 20% going to other emerging markets.
• Demand for more than 32,500 new single-aisle planes is about equal to the pre-pandemic outlook. These models continue to command 75% of deliveries in the 20-year forecast.
• Carriers will need more than 7,500 new widebody airplanes by 2040 to support fleet renewal and long-term passenger and air cargo demand growth in longer-haul markets. These projections are up slightly compared to 2020 but remain down 8% from 2019.

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OTHER NEWS

• We stumbled across this big list of short videos that…well, are very interesting, fun, crazy, thoughtful, and just about anything that will get your attention (or possibly even offending you)! (16) Watch | Facebook
  And, if you want the YouTube version: (716) YouTube
• We don’t cover missile stories, however, you might want to read this Boeing press release … it is a big deal! MediaRoom – News Releases/Statements
• This article by Dhierin Bechai is quite good and paints the real picture in the Ryanair/Boeing aircraft negotiations! Boeing Stock: Ryanair Ends 737 MAX Talks (NYSE:BA) | Seeking Alpha
• Want to see a 1950’s airplane that is a flying yacht and only one was made? All Aboard the Incredible Flying Yacht, circa 1950

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics)announced the launch of a new, next-generation Ku-band antenna, which will be developed in partnership with ThinKom Solutions, Inc.

The newly designed ThinAir® builds upon ThinKom’s flight proven, VICTS (Variable Inclination Continuous Transverse Stub) technology. It will be offered by Panasonic Avionics to its airline customers for both line-fit and retrofit installations, with first deliveries occurring in 2023.

The antenna will connect aircraft with Panasonic Avionics’ global communications network of high-speed, high-bandwidth Ku-band satellites, which place capacity where it is most needed to meet the growing needs of airlines and their passengers.

The new highly efficient and low-profile antenna offers airlines a wide range of advantages. These include support for both LEO (low earth orbit) and GEO (geostationary orbit) satellite networks, higher speed throughput, greater aerodynamic efficiency, gate-to-gate operations, and reduced operating costs.

Jeff Sare, Vice President of In-Flight Connectivity Solutions at Panasonic Avionics, said, “Panasonic is committed to delivering seamless, scalable, and future-proofed in-flight connectivity to our airline customers and their passengers. Our new antenna offering with ThinKom is an integral part of our network and will allow airlines to access both current and future satellite constellations.”
Panasonic Avionics offers global high-speed connectivity service everywhere commercial aircraft fly and has over 210 regulatory approvals across the globe. Its network consists of high-throughput (HTS) and extreme throughput (XTSTM) satellite technologies that provide the best end-user experience possible.

“This agreement with Panasonic Avionics is an important validation of our VICTS phased array antennas, which are designed to seamlessly roam on both LEO and GEO networks, delivering unparalleled flexibility and resiliency to ensure the highest level of bandwidth services and availability to airline customers,” stated Mark Silk, President of ThinKom Solutions, Inc.

“The combination of our VICTS technology and Panasonic Avionics’ experience and commitment to in-flight entertainment and connectivity provides an extremely compelling value proposition to commercial airlines, both today and in the future.”

Over 2,300 aircraft are now connected to Panasonic Avionics’ global communications network, which supports improved airline and passenger experiences including faster internet, video streaming and greater bandwidth for crew applications. Over 3,750 aircraft from various airline customers are currently committed to Panasonic Avionics’ in-flight connectivity services.

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BLUEBOX WOW & QANTAS

Bluebox Wow wireless IFE to be deployed on all jet aircraft in QantasLink fleet

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BOEING

• Aircraft Lessor Griffin Global Asset Management Orders Five Boeing 737-8 Jets
• The Los Angeles- and Dublin-based aircraft leasing company places its first direct order with Boeing
• With the Griffin order, customers have placed 529 gross orders for the 737 MAX family in 2021

Boeing and Griffin Global Asset Management announced the aircraft lessor is expanding its commercial aircraft portfolio with five new 737-8 jets. The purchase is Griffin’s first direct order with Boeing as it sees strategic opportunities to place the airplanes during the market recovery.

“As market conditions rebound, we are finding opportunities to serve our airline customers in innovative ways. An important component of this strategy is providing balanced capacity that meets returning passenger demand. The 737-8 is well-positioned to support this objective, and this order lays a strong foundation for more to come with Boeing and Griffin on future opportunities,” said Ryan McKenna, founder and CEO of Griffin.

Designed and built in Renton, Washington, the 737 MAX family delivers superior efficiency, flexibility and reliability while reducing fuel use and carbon emissions by at least 14% compared to the airplanes they replace. The 737-8 seats up to 189 passengers and can fly 3,550 nautical miles – about 600 miles farther than its predecessor – allowing airlines to offer new and more direct routes for passengers. Every 737 MAX features the new Boeing Sky Interior, highlighted by modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness and larger pivoting overhead storage bins.

“Griffin Global Asset Management is building a first-class aircraft leasing business, and we are delighted that they have selected the 737-8 for their single-aisle portfolio. As Griffin places its first direct order with Boeing, we welcome them to the 737 family and look forward to working with the team in the future,” said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing.

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity. Learn more at www.boeing.com .
Backed by Bain Capital Credit, Griffin provides commercial aircraft leasing and alternative asset management with offices in Dublin and Los Angeles. The team is staffed by experienced aviation professionals who work closely with airlines, aircraft manufacturers and investors to provide custom fleet solutions and innovative financing products to airlines around the world.

More Boeing News:

Boeing named Matt Welch as vice president of Investor Relations. Welch will succeed Maurita Sutedja, who has accepted an opportunity outside of Boeing following more than a decade of leadership within several finance roles at Boeing. Welch’s appointment is effective immediately.

Welch will lead Boeing’s interactions with the investment community, providing shareholders and financial analysts timely, accurate and transparent information on the company’s market environment, business, performance and outlook.

Welch is a seasoned leader with more than 20 years of deep financial experience across Boeing’s operations. Currently serving as vice president of Revenue Management at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Welch has held several roles of increasing responsibility, including in Investor Relations; Financial Planning and Analysis; and program finance

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OTHER NEWS

• Here is an interesting airline use of an A380 Singapore Airlines Has Converted a Parked A380 Plane Into a Restaurant | Condé Nast Traveler
• Trying to figure out why your airplane trip doesn’t fly over the Pacific Ocean? This Video Explains the Reason Why Planes Avoid Flying Over the Pacific Ocean
• Aviation takes a new LOW, er…BEHIND! World’s Largest Aircraft Mocked for Looking Like Giant Butt

PANASONIC

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics), China Eastern Airlines, APT Mobile SatCom Limited (“APSATCOM”), and China Telecom Satellite Communications (“CTSat”) achieved a new performance milestone for in-flight connectivity service over China, using Panasonic Avionics’ new Extreme Throughput Satellite (XTS) service on the APStar 6D communications satellite.

On a recent China Eastern Airlines’ flight MU5105, passengers saw average speeds up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to the aircraft, with peak speeds reaching 200 Mbps. As a result, passengers were able to enjoy services like streaming video, video conferencing, downloading large files, and high-speed web browsing, on multiple devices, all at the same time.

These new performance benchmarks were made possible by the APStar 6D satellite technology jointly designed by Panasonic Avionics and APSATCOM. The aircraft used had previously been equipped with in-flight connectivity hardware from Panasonic Avionics and no changes or upgrades to the existing antenna, wireless access points, satellite modem, or other critical component were required.

Ron Ho, Vice President and General Manager, Asia Pacific of Panasonic Avionics, said, “This is indeed an exciting achievement for Panasonic Avionics. The data that we saw from flight MU5105 underscores our commitment to being the leader in connectivity to airlines in China, across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, and around the world.”

“As the largest provider of satellite-based in-flight connectivity to airlines around the world, Panasonic knows that the demand for reliable, high-speed in-flight connectivity remains a top customer priority, especially in strategic markets across Asia Pacific like China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and others. With our significant investment in APStar 6D, Panasonic Avionics is uniquely positioned to exceed customer expectations for in-flight connectivity, not only today, but for the future. All aircraft equipped by Panasonic for connectivity will automatically utilize APStar 6D as they transit through the region.”

Jason Li, CEO of APSATCOM also commented, “APStar 6D is the world’s first extreme throughput communication satellite based for mobile service optimization. Beams of different sizes, capacity and bandwidth, dynamic adjustment capability and full view coverage are unique designs for the characteristics of satellite in-flight mobile service. We believe that APStar 6D is the most ideal solution for Panasonic Avionics to realize in-flight connectivity service in China and even the whole APAC region. In the future, APSTCOM will maintain close cooperation with Panasonic Avionics to optimize operating costs for airlines, and enable more passengers to enjoy high-quality, diversified network services.”

Panasonic Avionics’ global satellite network covers over 99% of all flight routes, and places capacity where it is most needed to meet the growing needs of airlines and their passengers. It supports the provision of services such as high-speed internet, video streaming, VoIP applications, HD video, live television, phone services, and even dedicated bandwidth for crew applications.

Panasonic Avionics has delivered over 2,300 in-flight connectivity solutions worldwide. It continues to innovate and deliver market leading passenger experiences for today’s in-flight connectivity market while delivering a network to meet the ever-growing demands of the future.

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics), a world leader in in-flight entertainment and connectivity services, has announced a series of Connectivity Bundles designed to help airlines maximize their investment in in-flight connectivity.

The new Connectivity Bundles by Panasonic Avionics are available to airlines looking to onboard an in-flight connectivity service for a fixed monthly fee. The bundles provide cost certainty, remove data limitations, and help airlines increase revenue generation.

Hernan Abbes, Vice President, Global Sales at Panasonic Avionics, said, “These new bundles give airlines the flexibility to build an in-flight connectivity offering to drive impact on passenger experience, customer loyalty, and operations with Panasonic Avionics’ enterprise-wide solutions. It’s the latest way that we are leveraging our market experience and expertise to help airlines differentiate themselves from their competitors and help drive Net Promoter Score (NPS).”

Airlines looking to maximize revenue generation will benefit from a robust passenger payment platform that offers choice and simplifies payment options with Apple Pay and Alipay, mobile services and a team that can monitor and measure performance to further optimize the solution. For airlines focused on the passenger experience, the offering provides live sports and news content through Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra, BBC, CNN, CNBC and more incremental bandwidth packages for dynamic web browsing, high-speed streaming, and more. Finally, to improve airline operations, Panasonic Avionics’ passenger portal provides access to the internet, its ZeroTouchTM capabilities enable remote software and operational updates from the cloud, and a suite of solutions such as analytics to improve forecasting, monitor usage, and business intelligence to optimize the airline’s connectivity service even further.

Each bundle comes with promotional recommendations and templates to support the airline’s on-board and off-board marketing efforts.

Abbes added, “Each of the bundles is based on airline feedback and from our experience in delivering in-flight entertainment and connectivity services to more than 300 airlines. More importantly, they offer the flexibility to airline customers who want to further enhance their offering with additional solutions including Panasonic Avionics’ Advertising, Marketplace, Destination Services, our ArcTM 3D in-flight moving map, and our Panasonic Technical Services global support team.”

The new Connectivity Bundles are powered by Panasonic Avionics’ global network of high speed, high bandwidth satellites. Over 2,300 aircraft are now connected to the network, which supports improved airline and passenger experiences including faster internet, video streaming and greater bandwidth for crew applications. Over 3,750 total aircraft from various airline customers are currently committed to Panasonic Avionics’ in-flight connectivity services.

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BOEING

The Boeing Company board of directors announced that David L. Joyce has been elected to the board, effective immediately. He will serve on the Aerospace Safety and Compensation committees. The Boeing board also announced that Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr. has informed the company that he will retire from the board at the end of 2021. An accomplished aerospace executive, Joyce, 64, retired from General Electric (GE) as vice chair in 2020, where he also served as president and CEO of GE Aviation from 2008 to 2020. During his 12-year leadership of GE’s largest division, Joyce also led customer and product support for more than 19,000 global engines and 500 airlines customers and oversaw the implementation of an industry-leading safety management system across GE Aviation.

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OTHER NEWS

• Curious about Chinese characters and how “predictive text” works? How China Conquered the Keyboard News And yes, you should watch this one!
• Italy’s national airline is ceasing operations on October 15 this year. Battling bankruptcy since 2017, the virus complications and travel reductions made recovery difficult. Italy will launch a new airline and they will takeover some 52 of the newest planes and we understand that by 2025 they will have 105 aircraft in service. ‘Buona Fortuna’ Italia!

INMARSAT

Inmarsat has announced its participation in this year’s Boeing ecoDemonstrator program (today’s Hot Topic Image). The global initiative, which aims to enhance the sustainability and safety of air travel by testing the world’s most promising technologies, has commenced the first flight trials for important new components of Inmarsat’s Iris air traffic modernization solution.

Powered by the Inmarsat ELERA global satellite network, Iris enables real-time collaboration between pilots, air traffic controllers and an airline’s operation center using cost-effective, secure and highly resilient datalink communications. As a result, they can calculate the shortest available routes, determine flight trajectories and cruise at optimum altitudes, while also receiving the latest digital information, such as weather updates. This not only improves airspace usage to accommodate future growth, but also allows airlines to minimize delays, save fuel and reduce the environment impact of their operations.

Iris capabilities have been enhanced recently with the introduction of next-generation ATN/IPS (Aeronautical Telecommunication Network using Internet Protocol Suite) satellite communications, which are currently being finalized as the global standard for air traffic control communications to and from the aircraft. This technology is being trialed for the first time as part of the Boeing ecoDemonstrator flights, marking an important step forward in Iris’ global rollout and unlocking significant benefits in service scalability, bandwidth and throughput for Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and airspace users.

John Broughton, Inmarsat’s Senior Vice President of Aircraft Operations and Safety Services, said: “Inmarsat’s Iris program is a great example of the vast benefits a digitized aviation industry will offer. By modernizing air traffic management, there is significant potential to drive environmental efficiencies and cut aviation’s carbon emissions. We’re proud to be involved in this future-facing research and look forward to working closely with other members of the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program to enable a more sustainable future of flying.”

Iris is currently being assessed for air traffic control and operational communications on flights across America operated on Boeing’s 2021 ecoDemonstrator 737-9 aircraft, in partnership with Alaska Airlines. The flights utilize equipment, terminals and routers from Iris partners including Honeywell and Cobham.

Rae Lutters, ecoDemonstrator Program Manager at Boeing, said: “We’re excited to be partnering with Inmarsat in our ecoDemonstrator program this year. We selected the Iris solution for testing, as it is closely aligned to our own commitment to reduce the environmental impact of modern aircraft. We are looking forward to evaluating Iris in a live flying environment and exploring the real-life impact such innovative technology could have when implemented on a global scale.”

The Iris program, which has been developed by Inmarsat in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), is expected to rollout in Europe by 2023 and then on a global basis over the next decade.

Elodie Viau, ESA Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications, said: “The Iris program is enabling aviation to become fully digital while reducing its carbon emissions. Passengers will be able to travel faster through less congested airports due to improved scheduling. We are excited to see Iris in action, proving that investment in space benefits the aviation industry and passengers.”

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MORGAN STANLY RESEARCH

• Southwest is stepping up recruiting efforts by offering an employee incentive program in order to boost applicants. The Southwest Airlines Gratitude (SWAG) Program consists of an internal rewards program which allows employees to collect points and redeem them for air miles, flight guest passes, concert tickets, and more. If the referral accepts the job and works for Southwest for at least 6 months, the referrer can receive 20,000 SWAG points – a value estimated to be ~$300. At the beginning of the pandemic, many airlines encouraged employees to take early retirements or partial paid time off in order to cut expenses. Today, airlines are looking to hire and/or retrain employees to keep up with the surge in travel demand that materialized faster than most expected. The labor shortage issue is affecting the entire airline industry, not just Southwest, and has caused industry wide disruptions such as delays/cancellations of flights, technical difficulties and more (see our thoughts here and here). That being said, management believes that a competitive advantage for LUV in the current labor environment is that they did not furlough employees during the pandemic, which should allow them to bring employees back more easily.
• Southwest also reached a tentative agreement with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) to reward more than 5,000 customer service employees.
• Low cost carrier Breeze Airways raised $200mn in new funding less than three months after launching its inaugural flight. Last week, Salt Lake City-based Breeze Airways announced it closed a $200mn Series B funding round, bringing its total funding to ~$300mn. Breeze Airways is a low cost carrier focused on nonstop routes between 16 underserved destinations in the U.S. (Hartford, CT, Louisville, KY, Tulsa, OK, Providence, RI, and more). The airline was founded by David Neeleman, who previously co-founded Morris Air, WestJet, JetBlue, and Azul Linhas Aereas, and has already had more than 100,000 passengers since launching operations in May 2021. Breeze Airways currently operates 13 Embraer regional jets and is expected to take delivery of 60 new Airbus A220s in October, which will be delivered at a rate of ~one per month over the next five years (see here). Breeze and Avelo are two of the new entrants in the regional ULCC space, which together with the aggressive growth plans of incumbent ULCCs should see ULCC share of the industry push higher (coming from both growth as well as share gains).
• The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) extended its travel mask mandate through January 18 to minimize the spread of COVID-19 on public transportation. Last week, TSA announced it will be extending the face mask requirement for individuals across all transportation networks throughout the U.S., including airports, onboard commercial aircraft, and commuter bus and rail systems. TSA began requiring face masks early on in the pandemic, with the initial face mask requirement set to expire on May 11, but later being extended through September 13, 2021. Mask mandates have faced some resistance throughout the pandemic, leading to encounters between passengers who do not want to wear a mask and flight attendants that have to enforce the federal rule. Last week, the FAA reported 3,889 incidents involving unruly passengers this year, and 2,867 of them (or 74%) involved refusing to wear a mask. According to U.S. Travel Association Executive VP of Public Affairs and Policy, Tori Emerson Barnes, extending the federal mask mandate for travel makes sense in the current health environment and has the travel industry’s full support. While this is less than ideal news for the airline sector that was hoping for a removal of the mask mandate to get passengers more comfortable, improve service, and reduce incidents on board, it is no doubt an understandable step in the near-term to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

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SECURITY & SAFETY

And yes, Flight Attendant security is becoming a big deal!
NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt on Twitter: “Inside a flight attendant self-defense training as bad passenger behavior surges — @TomCostelloNBC reports. https://t.co/RlfYL8NCe7” / Twitter

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OTHER NEWS

• If you are a fan of author Daniel Silva, you just might find the Author’s Note section in his latest book, The Cellist, interesting – especially the last thoughts on national security!
• If your travel experiences seem to require you to sleep in airports, here is a website that has a lot of information on many travel solutions – The Guide to Sleeping in Airports
• ATTENTION CODERS! Here is an Open AI Codex Live Demo – (641) OpenAI Codex Live Demo – YouTube Noted one viewer: “This is amazing. Making coding more accessible is going to be a huge leap forward. I can’t wait to see this get more advanced.”
• With Coronavirus taking over, you might need some music to calm your concerns, and we have found a solution – BOSE Home Speaker 500. Could clean audio kill a virus? No, but it really kills time well!
• Here are some amazing pix from the EAA AirVenture in 2021 – EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 | Flickr … and we mean A LOT OF PIX!

PANASONIC

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) is enhancing its in-flight mobile connectivity offering through a strategic partnership with GigSky, a global mobility provider based in Silicon Valley, California.

The partnership between Panasonic Avionics, its subsidiary AeroMobile and GigSky enables any eSIM-equipped mobile phone user to enjoy their in-flight mobile connectivity service—regardless of network operator—on selected airlines and flights. By downloading the award-winning GigSky app prior to departure, passengers can effortlessly pay for and access a daily connectivity pass.

Kevin Rogers, Senior Director, Mobile Services at Panasonic Avionics, said, “Digital innovation is at the forefront of everything we do at Panasonic Avionics. Our collaboration with GigSky marks our first eSIM partnership and enables us to enhance and bring more choice to the passenger experience. With GigSky’s support of our mobile services platform, passengers can connect their mobile phones across the globe regardless of which network provider they are with, replicating on-the-ground integrated connectivity in the skies.

Ravi Rishy-Maharaj, Founder and CEO at GigSky, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Panasonic Avionics to bring a first of its kind service to airlines and passengers. Through the GigSky app, we now offer data services in the air, land and sea with our partners. With the addition of an inflight plan, customers can stay connected at their destination – and in between destinations – truly enabling an always-online, always-connected experience, anywhere they go.”

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INMARSAT

• Inmarsat ELERA will be a catalyst for the next wave of world-changing technologies and is ideally suited for the Internet of Things and the billions of devices that are being connected every year
• Inmarsat ELERA builds on the company’s global leadership in L-band satellite services with breakthrough technologies that will deliver unparalleled L-band speeds and the smallest, low-cost user terminals, underpinned by Inmarsat’s record for reliability, resilience and availability
• Inmarsat ELERA will help ensure the world works better for decades to come, by delivering vital services already trusted by businesses and governments worldwide to drive operational efficiency and effectiveness, while protecting people, assets, data and our environment
• ELERA will be a key component of Inmarsat ORCHESTRA, a world first network that will combine GEO, LEO and 5G into one harmonious solution

In its second major announcement in two weeks, Inmarsat is unveiling Inmarsat ELERA; a global narrowband network that is ideally suited to the rapidly evolving world of the Internet of Things (IoT) and for global mobility customers, including aviation, maritime, governments and select enterprises.

“ELERA is perfectly suited to the needs of the connected IoT world,” said Rajeev Suri, CEO, Inmarsat. “Global reach, extraordinary resilience, faster speeds, smaller and lower cost terminals are all part of ensuring that we remain ahead of others in meeting the needs of our customers.”
“ELERA is a further sign of a company with true momentum and one that is delivering new innovations and strong performance,” continued Suri. “I expect that Inmarsat will grow strongly in 2021 compared to the previous year, and that growth will span most of our business units. Our progress was evident in the first half, where we saw strong growth in revenue and EBITDA and robust cash flow. We have sharpened our strategy to focus on driving growth, accelerate decision making, launch new innovations, and are creating a more commercially focused, customer-centric culture.”

ELERA builds on Inmarsat’s #1 position in Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) and will be a springboard for innovation, unlocking, accelerating and scaling pioneering use cases on land, at sea and in the air. Its foundation is Inmarsat’s world class L-band network and incorporates new innovations ranging from higher speeds to smaller, low cost terminals and [the previously announced] Inmarsat-6 satellites, the first of which (I-6 F1) is scheduled to launch before the end of the year.
Coming just 14 days after Inmarsat announced ORCHESTRA, the world’s first network to combine GEO, LEO and 5G into one harmonious global communications solution, ELERA underlines Inmarsat’s strategic focus on the global mobility segment of satellite communications. It is also a signal of a company with momentum, delivering major technological innovations and growth.

The unique capabilities of ELERA, combined with Inmarsat’s superior spectrum and the ideally suited orbital position of its satellite networks, will make it the essential catalyst for new IoT use cases, across everything from autonomous transport and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to industrial and agricultural IoT applications.

ELERA is built on Inmarsat’s market leading L-band network, which already delivers the world’s most reliable and flexible global connectivity service with unique resilience in all conditions and full global redundancy. It supports everything from worldwide maritime and aviation safety services and humanitarian missions to IoT applications across agritech, transportation and utilities, among many others.

The new innovations that the company is investing in to bring to market in the near future include spectrum management technology to deliver L-band speeds up to 1.7Mbps, the smallest footprint, low cost L-band terminal and two new L-band satellites, which are the largest and most sophisticated commercial communication satellites ever created.
The new spectrum management capabilities (known as Carrier Aggregation) being incorporated into the ELERA network will deliver the fastest speeds globally available to L-band customers, far outstripping the capabilities of any other worldwide L-band network.
Live customer trials in commercial aviation are scheduled to start during the course of 2022 and this technology will be rolled out across a range of sector specific applications for Inmarsat’s mobility, government and IoT customers over the coming few years.

ELERA will also see the creation of the smallest footprint, low cost terminal for L-band users, delivering the ideal framework for satcom IoT at scale, with supporting cloud-based management, for vertical sectors such as infrastructure, rail, logistics, mining, agriculture, government, maritime and aviation.

Inmarsat is launching two new satellites to enhance the ELERA network. The I-6 satellites, the first of which is scheduled to launch at the end of 2021, are the largest and most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever built.

The L-band capacity on each I-6 satellite will be substantially greater than Inmarsat’s 4th generation spacecraft and, among other enhancements, they will deliver 50% more capacity per beam; meaning that much more data can be carried over the same geographical area, in addition to unlimited beam routing flexibility.

ELERA will also deliver a major extension to Inmarsat’s portfolio of voice-enabled devices, bringing new capabilities and innovations to hundreds of thousands of customers. This initiative represents our commitment to voice service innovation and underlines the company’s long-term commitment to the handheld voice services over satellite market.

“ELERA is the exciting vision of how Inmarsat is planning to transform the capabilities offered to IoT and mobility customers for years to come and confirms our long-term commitment to L-band services. We will be sharing further detail on these innovations with our partner community in the coming months and continue our programme of announcements as we achieve major milestones.” said Rajeev Suri, CEO, Inmarsat.
The investments in ELERA are already included in Inmarsat’s current CAPEX plans and guidance.

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HAMBURG AVIATION

With climate change progressing, the measures that are currently planned by the aviation industry will be not enough. A new study by Hamburg-based Sustainable Aero Lab maps 40 promising startups in the new field of sustainable aviation.

The overview by Sustainable Aero Lab maps 40 promising startups, clustering sustainable aviation in four technological fields: Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Electric Propulsion, Hydrogen, and the Digital Backbone. It also looks at global venture capital investment into zero emission tech, a field that has gained significant traction over the last six years, but so far has been shy to connect with the aviation sector, especially when it comes to complex segments such as hydrogen. Yet with a growing attention in all industries to act on climate change and reduce global CO2 emissions, the potential for new players in aviation technology has never been greater.

Sustainable Aero Lab is focused on accelerating startups and has been mentoring startups in each segment outlined in this study since its launch in February 2021. Some of the most prominent experts from all segments of aviation have already joined as mentors.

You can find the entire study by Sustainable Aero Lab, including the startup map and an analysis of venture capital investments into zero-emission tech, on the Lab’s website www.sustainable.aero.

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OTHER NEWS

• This is so scary …. Afghans Climb on to Plane During Takeoff in Attempt to Flee Taliban News
• The IMGUR folks had an interesting post on technology..“If you are not a scientist, and you disagree with scientists about science, It’s actually not a disagreement. You’re just wrong”
• Bitcoin mining – Inside the Largest Bitcoin Mine in the U.S News And you thought Boitcoin didn’t use any power!
• As you may know, the world is getting into hypersonic weaponry and here is a AvWeek pix link to a look at US hypersonic technology – Hypersonics Through The Years | Aviation Week Network

Editor’s Note: It is with much sadness that IFExpress reports the passing of long time IFE professional, Harry Gray. Harry worked in the inflight entertainment realm for 30 years and was the consummate professional, as well as, an extraordinary salesman. But most importantly, he was a great friend. Our hearts go out to the Gray family at this time. Rest in peace Harry, you will be sorely missed.

PANASONIC

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) announced Singapore Airlines (SIA) as the launch customer for its new Marketplace digital eCommerce platform.

This latest digital solution from Panasonic Avionics enables airlines to introduce a turn-key eCommerce experience onboard. It facilitates in-flight food and beverage ordering, expands storefront retail and duty-free offerings with the ability to present dynamic inventory, and initiates promotions throughout the customer journey, in both connected and non-connected environments.
Marketplace will enable Singapore Airlines’ passengers to experience an omni-channel shopping experience, offered in partnership with the carrier and its KrisShop retail platform, that will be branded eShopping. By using Marketplace, the airline can customize its current retail offering and add future stores to deliver real-time inventory updates to KrisShop.

Panasonic Avionics’ eCommerce platform will enhance the shopping experience for Singapore Airlines’ passengers by enabling them to shop in-flight and browse a hugely expanded choice of around 4,000 products. They will have the choice of delivery directly to their homes or on their next flight.

As an integrated solution, Marketplace enables retail catalogs to be pre-loaded on to the airline’s in-flight entertainment content server. This allows passengers to continually browse regardless of the connectivity status at the time.

Singapore Airlines will roll out the platform across its fleet installed with Panasonic Avionics’ in-flight entertainment solutions and is the latest chapter in their longstanding partnership which first commenced in 1995.

Andrew Mohr, Vice President, Digital Solutions at Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said, “We are thrilled to launch our new Marketplace platform with our longstanding partner Singapore Airlines, whose dedication to pioneering the passenger experience reflects our own.”

“Marketplace marks our latest commitment to revolutionizing and revitalizing the in-flight experience with our growing portfolio of digital solutions, and is an integral part of our efforts to welcome passengers back to the skies.”

Panasonic Avionics has designed Marketplace to enable airlines to customize the passenger experience by route, cabin and destination. For example, different retailer catalogs can be assigned to specific routes and cabins to align the experience to the passenger demographic.

Marketplace incorporates a range of eCommerce analytics tools that enable airlines to continually measure and refine its performance to ensure it meets their passengers’ needs.

Mr. Yeoh Phee Teik, Senior Vice President Customer Experience, Singapore Airlines, said: “E-commerce is the future of shopping, and integrating this feature into our in-flight entertainment system is yet another industry first for SIA. This allows KrisWorld to go beyond movies, television shows, music, and games, and offer customers more of what they want while flying with us. This is part of our unwavering commitment to continuously innovate and enhance our product and service offerings, and augment the travel experience for our customers.”

More News From Panasonic:

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) has launched the world’s first full cabin 4K ultra-high-definition in-flight entertainment (IFE) with Cathay Pacific Airways (Cathay Pacific).

Its market-leading 4K screens are taking to the skies on the airline’s new fleet of Airbus A321neo aircraft, incorporating on-demand services with one of the largest movie and TV libraries available on a regional single-aisle aircraft.

The rollout of Panasonic Avionics’ screens will also include Bluetooth audio streaming, enabling Cathay Pacific’s passengers to watch the latest Hollywood blockbusters in 4K using their own Bluetooth-enabled headphones.

Panasonic Avionics’ integrated technology delivers the highest quality pixel density of any IFE screen in the skies today, enabling Cathay Pacific’s passengers to enjoy the latest films and box sets in stunning resolution, color depth and contrast.

The new IFE experience will be featured in all cabins on Cathay Pacific’s A321neo fleet. The airline’s economy class seats will feature 11.6-inch personal screens, while business class will feature 15.6-inch personal screens.

Ken Sain, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics said, “Cathay Pacific has been a strategic and highly valued airline customer of Panasonic Avionics for many years. We are thrilled to help them take their passenger experience to the next level with the introduction of 4K content using our NEXT IFE system.”

“We continue to work tirelessly to develop the highest quality resolution for our seatback screens, and the launch of 4K is the latest milestone in our 40-year long commitment to delivering the world’s best in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions to airlines and their passengers.”

The introduction of 4K IFE marks the latest chapter in Cathay Pacific’s longstanding partnership with Panasonic Avionics, which first commenced in 2007. In addition to introducing its Live Television service in 2016, Panasonic Avionics is the principal provider of in-flight entertainment systems for Cathay Pacific’s fleet of over 130 aircraft.

“We are excited with the launch of the most advanced in-flight entertainment system with our long-term partner, Panasonic Avionics, on our A321neo aircraft,” said Vivian Lo, Cathay Pacific’s General Manager Customer Experience and Design. “We’ve always aimed to provide our passengers a comparable entertainment experience as what they would find at home. With the large screens and 4K ultra-high-definition viewing experience, passengers may enjoy our curated premium 4K content with their personal Bluetooth wireless headphones. We are determined to continuously elevate our passengers’ travel experience, and today, we are marking a milestone with our new A321neo fleet.”

The new 4K screens are an integral part of Panasonic Avionics’ NEXT IFE Series, the industry’s most powerful in-flight entertainment system. Incorporating the latest advancements in aircraft architecture, NEXT delivers an augmented cinematic experience and simplified seat integration for every cabin class.

And More News:

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) announced China Eastern Airlines (China Eastern) as the launch customer in China for its in-flight Live Television service.

The service will be rolled out across its entire widebody fleet of Airbus A330, A350 and Boeing B777 and B787 aircraft in the future, initially providing their passengers with unmissable live coverage from major local broadcasters, such as CCTV and CGTN.

Live Television is enabled by Panasonic Avionics’ third-generation (Gen-3) communications network of high speed, high bandwidth Ku-band satellites. The network covers over 99% of all routes, and places capacity where it is most needed to meet the growing needs of airlines and their passengers.

The most recent addition to the Gen-3 network is APSTAR 6D, Panasonic Avionics’ first extreme high throughput satellite, which has significantly boosted satellite capacity over China through teleports which have just gone live in Beijing. This will enable China Eastern, and other airlines based in China and flying over it, to benefit from this enhanced capacity and a range of other in-flight connectivity services.

Ken Sain, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said: “China is a strategically important market for Panasonic Avionics, and we are delighted to welcome China Eastern as the first airline in this market to launch our Live Television service. Their passengers can now stay up to date with global news and sporting events in-flight, taking advantage of the additional satellite capacity we have just invested in over China.”

Panasonic Avionics’ Live Television service offers premium live sports and news events as they unfold, connecting passengers to unmissable on-the-ground entertainment from the comfort of their seats. The integrated service enables passengers to watch their favorite national news channels. It broadcasts 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, connecting passengers to over 16 hours of premium live content each day. Over 30 different global sports leagues, federations and unique events will be shown in 2021, including the Olympics Games Tokyo 2020 and UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.

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ASTRONICS

• Sales for the quarter were $111.2 million
• Net loss was $8.1 million
• Adjusted EBITDA* was $0.4 million
• Bookings for the quarter continued sequential improvement to $126.3 million; Achieved book-to-bill ratio of 1.14
• Aerospace segment book-to-bill of 1.32 for the quarter
• Backlog increased 5% sequentially to $312.7 million

Peter J. Gundermann, the Company’s President and CEO, commented, “Our second quarter was one of slow but steady progress. Our core aerospace markets strengthened as vaccinations took hold and passenger traffic accelerated. We are encouraged by our bookings trend, especially in our Aerospace segment, where we achieved a book-to-bill ratio of 1.32 for the quarter. We expect these bookings will drive higher sales in the second half of 2021.”

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THALES

• Thales Partners with DAS in Fully Supporting Hong Kong International Airport’s Three-Runway System Expansion Project
• Thales partners with DAS to provide an advanced Instrument Landing System (ILS) solution in fully supporting the Three-runway System (3RS) expansion project at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) helping to further improve the capacity and efficiency of aircraft landing while maintaining the highest standard of flight safety.
• As one of the most trusted partners, Thales has been providing various critical air navigation service equipment to the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government for over 20 years.
• Thales state-of-the-art ILS solution has already been implemented in various major international airports worldwide.

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BOEING

Boeing announced a $500,000 (equivalent to IDR 7.2 billion) donation from the Boeing Charitable Trust to CARE in support of COVID-19 relief efforts in Indonesia. Funds will be used to increase capacity of local health centers, provide inflatable negative pressure tents and beds to accommodate COVID-19 patients, as well as personal protective equipment kits and food supplements for health care workers.

“Boeing stands by the people of Indonesia as the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant continues to spread across the country, leaving families and communities in desperate need of assistance,” said Sir Michael Arthur, president of Boeing International. “We are in this fight against COVID-19 together, and Boeing is committed to helping communities respond to this most recent surge in cases. This donation will help save lives and support those impacted the most.”

“As the COVID-19 crisis grows in densely populated areas in Indonesia, CARE’s support to treatment facilities and isolation centers is more critical than ever,” said Bonaria Siahaan, CEO Yayasan CARE Peduli (CARE Indonesia). “We are grateful to our partners at Boeing for joining this enormous effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 and protect the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities.”

Only slightly more than 11% of the Indonesian population has been fully vaccinated against the virus. CARE is currently mobilizing response efforts that include converting health centers into treatment facilities and isolation centers; supporting communities with water and sanitation facilities; and providing nutritional support for vulnerable children under the age of 5. CARE is also ensuring the fair and equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in the region.

As part of the Boeing Gift Match program, the company will match dollar for dollar monetary donations made by Boeing employees to charitable organizations supporting COVID-19 relief in Indonesia. This will extend the reach of assistance being provided to the Indonesian people.

COVID-19 relief efforts in Indonesia align with Boeing’s ongoing commitment to the communities where Boeing employees live and work. Boeing’s presence in Indonesia spans more than 70 years. Over the past decade, Boeing has contributed more than $2.8 million in charitable giving in the country.

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OTHER NEWS

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• Perhaps we have the view of hypersonic flight technology incorrect? Sabine Hossenfelder: Backreaction: Why the Hype around Hypersonics?
• You won’t believe this Emirates Promo! We were shocked! Crazy Stunt: Emirates Flight Attendant Stands On Top Of The Burj Khalifa – Simple Flying

FLIGHTPATH 3D

FlightPath3D announced  that they achieved over 500
installations in the first half of 2021 thanks to its availability on any device and any platform.

Duncan Jackson, FlightPath3D President, says, “Our suite of interactive travel applications, including our route map and smart travel guide, is driving the demand, especially with our best in class in-seat installations. We’re also seeing the move to a touchless cabin driving demand for our Wi-Fi streaming map that’s viewed on passengers’ own devices.”

Figure 1 – FlightPath3D Route Map Wi-Fi Streamed to Passenger’s Smart Phone

Jackson adds, “Thanks to our any device, any platform approach, our market-leading map, and travel applications, are available on any IFE architecture (seat-back, overhead, and Wi-Fi streaming) and on any OEM platform. We’re proud of the integration, certification, and joint sales efforts with all of our OEM partners, which include: Anuvu, Astronics, Burrana, Gogo, IDAIR, Immfly, Panasonic, Safran Passenger Solutions, and Thales.”

Figure 2 – FlightPath3D Moving Map Displayed on an In-Seat Monitor

Jackson continues, “Our airline partners greatly appreciate that we can integrate our map across their fleet of aircraft, regardless of the type of IFE system installed, ensuring fleet commonality and enhancing their passengers’ inflight experience.”

FlightPath3D CEO, Boris Veksler, says, “We’ve been busy creating new applications that help passengers find flights, routes, and destinations based on personal profiles and their experience desires. We’re well on track to surpassing our target of 4,000 aircraft installs by the end of
2021.”

Veksler adds, “We’re excited to see these products enter service in the next few months with several airlines and airports. More news about that to come shortly.”

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BLUEBOX
Royal Jordanian, Jordan’s national flag carrier, has expanded their “SkyConnect” wireless in-flight entertainment (W-IFE) service to its Embraer E175 and E195 aircraft. Originally launched in 2019 with a deployment of Bluebox Wow on its Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, the expansion occurred in conjunction with several enhancements from Bluebox, through which Royal Jordanian has received upgraded Bluebox Wow boxes across the fleet, a refresh to the passenger interface, and conversion to app-free DRM content delivery, which removed a previous requirement for passengers to download an app prior to flights in order to access “SkyConnect” on board.

Given the flexible route pattern served by Royal Jordanian’s fleet, with some aircraft flying a mix of long- and short-haul routes, Bluebox has also introduced new functionality to the crew management tool, giving RJ cabin crew the ability to select different content sets, depending on the flight length. Restricting the content provided on short-haul flights to more appropriate short-form content (i.e. no long movies) will help the airline save content licencing costs.

Royal Jordanian Vice Chairman & CEO, Samer Majali said: “The addition of Bluebox’s wireless IFE solution to our Airbus fleet proved very quickly to be a valuable service enhancement enjoyed by our passengers, and so we wanted to expand this to our passengers flying on our Embraer aircraft as well – ensuring that wherever our passengers are flying they have access to our “SkyConnect” service. The flexibility of Bluebox Wow – and the excellent support we’ve had from Bluebox – has helped us ensure that as we emerge from the pandemic, our passengers will return to a rich in-flight experience and we’re making the most effective use of W-IFE on board.”

“When we first deployed Bluebox Wow on Royal Jordanian’s Airbus aircraft, we’d said it was a natural fit,” said Kevin Clark, CEO, Bluebox. “The fact that we’ve now extended the service to RJ’s Embraer fleet flying shorter routes demonstrates the flexibility of Bluebox Wow – and the ability of our team – to serve different requirements and to continually enhance the value of our solution for our customers.”

Bluebox Wow provides wireless content streamed to passenger devices in any aircraft cabin, including a wide range of film, TV, audio, games, and other digital content. With a remarkably low cost of ownership, Bluebox Wow is a discrete, portable, lunchbox-sized unit stowed securely in overhead bins.

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INMARSAT

Inmarsat unveiled plans for ORCHESTRA, the communications network of the future. In the largest ever transformation of its current world-class services, Inmarsat ORCHESTRA will bring together existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellites with low earth orbit satellites (LEO) and terrestrial 5G into an integrated, high-performance solution.

Whether for a ship in a crowded port, an aircraft preparing to land at LAX, or a defense force deployed in a remote location, ORCHESTRA is designed to meet evolving connectivity needs in the mobility market with a service unmatched by any competitor offering, planned or in existence.

“An orchestra brings different instruments together, each supporting the other and playing its role in the masterpiece. We’re building ORCHESTRA on the same concept,” said Rajeev Suri, CEO of Inmarsat. “By combining the distinct qualities of GEO, LEO and 5G into a single network, we will deliver a service that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Our customers will benefit from dramatically expanded high throughput services around the world. This is the future of connectivity and Inmarsat is perfectly positioned to bring it to the world with its proven technology expertise, right base of customers and partners, and financial strength.”

ORCHESTRA will open up a host of new and previously unattainable possibilities for industries across the world. New services include close-shore navigation for autonomous vessels, next-generation emergency safety services for maritime crews, secure and tactical private networks for governments and direct-to-cloud connections for airlines. New segments set to benefit from ORCHESTRA include energy rigs and drilling platforms, mid-market business aircraft, coastal vessels, smart passenger ships and urban air mobility.

ORCHESTRA is unique because it draws together the benefits of multiple technologies to create one cohesive solution. LEO, GEO and terrestrial networks have never been combined at scale before to create a unified connectivity service for mobility customers. The result is a ‘dynamic mesh network’ that will deliver high-performance connectivity everywhere. Bringing together the lowest average latency and fastest average speeds with unique resilience, ORCHESTRA will eliminate the industry-wide challenge of congested network ‘hot spots’.

Inmarsat’s existing GEO satellites – both GX and L-band – will continue to provide global coverage, high performance, security and resilience. Terrestrial 5G adds ultra-high capacity in busy ‘hot spots’, such as ports, airports, and sea canals. A small constellation of LEO satellites will layer additional high capacity over further high-demand areas such as oceanic flight corridors. As a result, the network will offer the highest capacity for mobility users worldwide, and at ‘hot spots’.

The network will benefit from ‘dynamic mesh’ technology, which allows individual customer terminals to direct traffic to and from other customer terminals. This means that a ship within reach of a 5G ground station can receive ample capacity for its own needs as well as route capacity onwards to other vessels beyond terrestrial reach. This effectively creates a mobile web of terminals that extend the network’s reach and improve its performance and resilience.

“ORCHESTRA ensures Inmarsat is well positioned to deliver long-term, profitable growth by delivering new services to existing customers, targeting near-adjacent market segments, and maintaining a strong competitive position,” said Suri. “We have a record of adopting the right technology at the right time. We plan to focus initially on delivering the ORCHESTRA terrestrial network, while preparing for a future LEO constellation in the range of 150-175 satellites. This is a highly cost-effective approach that leverages Inmarsat’s leading GEO satellite networks as part of ORCHESTRA’s unique multi-layer architecture.”

The new approach means that Inmarsat can easily boost capacity in high-density areas such as ports and airports, ensuring customer needs continue to be met well into the future with capacity scaled directly to match their requirements. The initial five-year (2021-2026) total investment for ORCHESTRA is expected to be in the order of $100m.

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AIRFI.AERO

The latest in a series of strategic alliances supports AirFi’s expansion in Southeast Asia and underscores the company’s commitment to providing global expertise with local support to airline customers.

AirFi, the leading provider of portable wireless inflight entertainment and onboard ancillary revenue solutions to the airline sector, and Basecare Vietnam, a Hanoi-based consultancy specializing in cabin interiors and technologies, have today announced a new partnership that will accelerate the rollout of AirFi’s digital cabin solutions across more airlines in Vietnam.

Effective from July 2021, Basecare Vietnam will operate as AirFi Vietnam and becomes the exclusive sales representative of AirFi solutions to airlines in the country, which is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and home to a flurry of start-up activity in aviation. AirFi Vietnam is the fifth strategic regional representative for AirFi, following the successful introduction of AirFi Indonesia, AirFi America, AirFi Korea, and AirFi Romania. Each local representative brings valuable regional expertise, advice, and service not only to AirFi’s customers but also to other airlines in the region.

Under the new strategic alliance, Basecare Vietnam (AirFi Vietnam) will act as vendor for AirFi’s inflight entertainment and ancillary revenue solutions and will also draw on deep knowledge of local business practice, consumer habits, and many years of experience in airline start-ups to optimize UX, content and retail offerings, as well as supporting system monetization and enabling zero capex deployment for qualified airlines.

“I’m thrilled to announce the signing of this strategic alliance with AirFi for the benefit of all of Vietnam’s Airlines,” commented Clarence Phua, Director of Customer Service at Basecare Vietnam. “The Vietnamese sky is brimming with fleets of Boeing and Airbus aircraft, all of which are perfectly suited for AirFi’s wireless streaming solutions. We believe the AirFi portfolio is truly the market’s leading array of portable inflight entertainment, ancillary revenue and connected crew ePOS solutions.”

Commenting on the partnership, Vimal Kumar Rai, AirFi EVP Global Sales and Marketing said: “The magic of selling onboard is all about curating a mix of products and services that are timely and relevant to the passenger. The local representation and regional expertise of our in-country representatives helps AirFi develop culturally intuitive and engaging passenger experiences through customized onboard retail offerings while streamlining crew operations and otherwise maximising the profitability of the AirFi system. Basecare Vietnam is the ideal partner to help localize our offerings and optimize ancillary revenues for our partners in the region.

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BOEING

The Boeing Company announced a €500,000 donation from the Boeing Charitable Trust to the American Red Cross to assist with flood relief efforts in Germany. Funds will be deployed by the German Red Cross to provide emergency power, distribute emergency relief supplies, improve communication infrastructure and mobilize medical care, first aid and rescue services to the hardest hit areas in the region.

“Our hearts go out to all of the people of Germany who have been impacted by these devastating floods,” said Marc Allen, Boeing’s chief strategy officer, senior vice president of Strategy and Corporate Development and interim leader of Government Operations. “Through our partnership with the American Red Cross and German Red Cross, we are working quickly to bring much-needed emergency funding to communities hit hardest by these recent events. Germany is an important partner to both the U.S. and to Boeing, and we hope that this emergency assistance package provides some level of relief during these difficult times.”

“Boeing has a strong relationship with Germany and we feel that it is our responsibility to stand at the side of the German people in these exceptional circumstances,” added Dr. Michael Haidinger, president of Boeing Germany.

In the aftermath of the severe flooding, hundreds of people have lost their lives and the property loss is estimated to be in the billions. More than 3,000 German Red Cross workers are providing assistance in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. The work is only just beginning, and the Red Cross will continue to provide assistance in the months to come.

“The American Red Cross is grateful for partners like Boeing for stepping up during these unprecedented times,” said Koby Langley, senior vice president of International Services for the American Red Cross. “Boeing’s contribution supports the Red Cross efforts to help communities affected by flooding in Germany. We are deeply grateful for their generous support during this challenging time.”

Boeing continues to monitor the situation and is in regular communication with its 1,000 employees in Germany. All Boeing facilities in Germany are currently operating normally.

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OTHER NEWS

• Here is the free ATW 2021 World Airline Report! ATW_August_2021
• Wanna see some great airplane liveries? Gallery: Airlines’ Spirits Still Soar in Special Liveries | Aviation Week Network
• The folks at Boston Dynamics are really an incredible engineering and manufacturing set of geniuses! Do you see a future for robots in aviation…particularly onboard service? The Impressive Evolution of Boston Dynamics Robots
• And finally, a “Thank You” to Sir Paul McCartney – An important message from Sir Paul MacCartney: – Imgur

AVIATION RECOVERY IMPACTED BY LACK OF GLOBAL SYNCHRONISATION, INDUSTRY LEADERS STATE DURING RECORD-BREAKING VIRTUAL BROADCAST

FlightPlan: C-Suite Week, hosted by Inmarsat and APEX, aired a series of ‘no holds barred’ discussions with the CEOs of Qatar Airways, AirAsia, United Airlines, TAP Air Portugal and IATA

Exclusive interviews were viewed by 6,500 viewers from 80 countries around the world, with thousands more expected to watch the videos on demand

26 JULY 2021: The biggest names in global aviation came together at FlightPlan: C-Suite Week for a series of exclusive ‘no holds barred’ interviews with leading BBC World News reporter Aaron Heslehurst, touching on the most immediate and pressing issues facing air travel in 2021.

The latest edition in the popular FlightPlan online broadcast, developed by Inmarsat Aviation and APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association), attracted a record-breaking audience of 6,500 from 80 countries worldwide last week, with thousands more expected to watch the videos on demand.

FlightPlan: C-Suite Week aired interviews on five consecutive days with:

• Akbar Al Baker, Group CEO, Qatar Airways.
• Tony Fernandes, CEO and Founder, AirAsia Group.
• Scott Kirby, CEO, United Airlines and APEX/IFSA Board of Governors Chair.
• Christine Ourmières-Widener, CEO, TAP Air Portugal.
• Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA (and former CEO of IAG).

Several pertinent topics were debated during the daily ‘power hour’ broadcasts, including leadership lessons from the industry’s biggest ever crisis, how airline recovery has been stilted by a lack of global synchronization, and the importance of addressing sustainability challenges. The interviews also explored the ability of digitalization to accelerate profitable growth for airlines and meet evolving passenger needs.

Summarizing the event, Philip Balaam, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “FlightPlan was launched by Inmarsat and APEX during the very onset of the global pandemic, bringing the global aviation industry together for much needed debates, discussions and direction at a time of great uncertainty.

“The response has been phenomenal, with a combined audience of approximately 17,000 for the first three editions, reinforcing its position as the industry’s biggest virtual broadcast. FlightPlan: C-Suite Week delivered insight into the difficult decisions faced by leaders over the past 18 months. It also uncovered many impressive future-facing initiatives underway – from sustainability to passenger experience – that will not only secure a strong recovery for airlines, but also ensure a bright future for the industry at large.”

Never waste a crisis

FlightPlan’s C-Suite line-up shared valuable leadership lessons from steering their aviation businesses through the COVID-19 travel crisis over the past 18 months. Al Baker shared his biggest learning for leaders: “there should always be a plan B and even sometimes a plan C of how to conduct your business in dire circumstances like the pandemic.”

For Kirby, a major learning has been the critical importance of customer experience. “Many of us in aviation have a new focus and commitment to change the customer experience. To use what we went through – the worst crisis in history – as a transformative moment to really make it better for customers,” he said. Kirby’s ambition is to turn flying into something passengers truly enjoy as part of the journey, “so that their vacation starts the moment they leave the house, instead of once they land at the other side”.

Unilateralism has stilted recovery

Across the board, the interviewees agreed that industry recovery has been stilted by unilateralism and a lack of global synchronization. For Fernandes, co-ordination between different governments “has been a failure… because every country has their own vaccine rules and entry requirements”. Lamenting the lack of standardised policies, he called for closer co-ordination between airlines and airports, noting: “we’re symbiotic; we need each other”.

Walsh echoed the challenges of a siloed international approach: “You would have expected the EU to have corralled everybody together and say, look, ‘we’ve got to demonstrate to everybody now that we are in this together’. That’s probably been the most disappointing thing for me. If we’ve struggled to see a political and a coordinated political response from the EU, I think we’ve no hope of expecting to see a coordinated political response globally.”

Sustainability in aviation

With climate change rapidly rising up the consumer, corporate and policy agenda, sustainability was highlighted as an urgent priority for the airline industry to ensure its right to operate in the future. As OurmieÌres-Widener told viewers: “Our contribution to the future of the climate is key.”

Walsh backed further political focus on environmental performance, noting: “The equipment that we have on aircraft today is so advanced and yet we’re still operating the way we were back in the 1960s. It’s a scandal on environmental grounds and is making our operations so much more inefficient than they could be.” He speculated, “Why isn’t it being done? Because there’s a lack of political will to address the issue.”

Kirby agreed that policies are needed to drive forward ambitious targets, but that “we have to be real about the art of the doable,” noting that Net Zero by 2035 would come at the expense of reliable power supplies. He shared insight on United’s efforts to invest in Boom aircraft that run on sustainable fuel – part of the airline’s commitment to reach Net Zero without carbon offsetting.

Qatar Airways is also underway with its sustainability drive, according to Al Baker, who said: “We are prepared to look after our environment, and this is why we are continuously investing in aeroplanes that are more fuel-efficient.” 

Readiness for digital transformation

OurmieÌres-Widener mused that while the crisis brought many challenges to the industry, it has also confirmed several trends – one being the huge opportunity for airlines that embrace digitiation. She said that the “full digital experience” is no longer just a buzzword, but a reality that airlines need to offer.

Digitization is well underway for AirAsia, too, with data sitting at the heart of Fernandes’ vision to make the brand more than just an airline. “We have much better customer data than Uber,” from credit card to loyalty information, Fernandes explained. His ambition is to make AirAsia “a travel company like Expedia,” encompassing services from currency to grocery delivery. “We’re trying to turn the AirAsia customer on the plane into a customer on the ground, keeping them with us before and after their flight,” he said.

To watch all interviews on demand, visit: flightplan.wavecast.io.

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FLIGHTAWARE

FlightAware, the largest global provider of flight information and actionable aviation intelligence, announced the launch of Aviator, the ultimate flight tracking suite for piston airplane pilots and operators.

FlightAware’s Aviator is an inexpensive subscription-based software, accessible via the web and iOS. Any subscriber can register multiple aircraft, including rentals, and unlock indispensable features like Ready To Taxi™, Premium Weather and Map Layers, Surface Visualizations, FBO Scheduling, and ETAs automatically updated via FlightAware’s powerful machine predictive technology, Foresight™.

“Aviator was created by FlightAware pilots to share advanced flight tracking features with other piston airplane pilots. Over the years we’ve gone from flight tracking to becoming the central data hub for both the business and commercial aviation industries. With Aviator, we’re bringing a product with robust tools and processes developed for the most sophisticated flight departments and commercial airlines, right to the GA pilot.” said Daniel Baker, FlightAware CEO.

With Aviator family, friends, and FBOs can receive alerts from preflight and taxi out, through landing and taxi in.

Communications are coordinated as stakeholders stay informed. From surface visualizations displaying taxiing planes and surface movements to comprehensive airborne flight tracks, Aviator also provides monthly history reports for pilots and operators to review critical flight details.

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MORGAN STANLEY

Airlines: Corporate Travel Survey 2H2021: US is leading the recovery

High number of Covid cases and slow lifting of travel bans have postponed the recovery of corporate travel budgets to post 2022. The shift of travel volume to virtual has stabilized at 27% by 2022 and is expected to be 19% by 2023. US travel is benefiting from a quicker corporate recovery vs EU and Asia.

We conducted an online survey of ~140 corporate travel managers between June 30-July 12, who represent over US$8B of typical annual travel spend. Around 67% are headquartered in the US, 19% in Europe, and 14% in Asia/Other, and their travel budgets are allocated relatively similarly. This survey is the fourth wave since the Covid pandemic started a stabilization, which we find interesting to track changes in trends as we return to normal.

Travel budgets recovery has slowed down, with the US leading the recovery. Travel budgets are expected to be down an average of 39.2% vs 2019 in 2H21 compared to the 57.3% drop seen in the 1H21. The pace of recovery will increase in 2022 with budgets expected to be down only 17.5% on average, which is 2pp worse than our previous survey in March. The US will lead the recovery as 17% of US based respondents replied that their 2H21 travel budgets would be increasing vs 2019, compared to 10% of Europeans and 0% of Asian/Other responders. In addition, while 62% of European responders expected cuts of greater than 50%, only 45% of US counterparts expected the same.

Passenger volumes continue to deteriorate, though expectations are for higher fare increases. Similar to travel budgets, our latest data suggests 2022 volumes vs 2019 will be down 21.1%, a 2.7pp decrease vs March. Once again Europe will be the laggard with 57% expecting a decline of 30-50% compared to just 25% of US respondents expecting the same. Expectations of air fares have improved, with 2.8% increases in 2022 (up 80bps vs March).

The shift to virtual meetings trend seems to be stabilizing. Despite some deterioration in corporate travel expectations for 2021/2022, the shift to virtual meetings in 2022 remains at 27% level, with 2023 expected to be 19%, on average.

Time and cost cited as key issues for switch to virtual, with environmental concerns higher in Europe. More efficient use of employee time and cost reductions were cited by 74% and 72% of respondents, respectively, as at least a top 3 reason for replacing travel with virtual options. Perhaps unsurprisingly, European companies considered environmental concerns as the most important reason to replace corporate travel. 25% of Europe based travel managers cited this as their number 1 reason compared to just 5% of US counterparts.

Conclusions for Europe: We think US based respondents’ more positive outlook for travel could be an indication of a faster recovery once restrictions ease. Nonetheless, we still do not anticipate corporate air travel in Europe to recover before 2023/2024, and higher environmental concerns on travel support our thesis. All in all, weaker demand and 27% convergence of travel into virtual events should negatively affect legacy carriers (Lufthansa, IAG and Air France-KLM, in that order) more than low cost carriers (easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz). We continue to prefer Ryanair and easyjet (OW), over Lufthansa and AF-KLM.

Conclusions for US Airlines: From a US perspective, it is encouraging to see the results lead the rest of the world given the higher pace of vaccinations and the growing momentum toward return to the office, which will likely lead corporate travel. We note that most airlines have already seen a notable pickup in corporate travel from -80% vs. 2019 in April to -60% in May and expected to be -40-45% in September.

Furtherrmore, the Airlines expect the momentum to continue to pick up in 3Q/4Q and their internal surveys show that permanent substitution of corporate travel will be as little as 5% (in DAL’s survey down from 8% a quarter ago) to zero (for UAL), vs. our ~20-25%. Perhaps all this tells us is that there is still significant uncertainty out there on how much the corporate tide will rise as we re-open and whether that will stop 20%, 10% or 0% below 2019 levels or even exceed 2019 levels. What is clear to us is that the initial rising tide (returning to 70-80% of normal corporate) is nowhere close to being priced into the US Airline stocks today (esp. Legacies like DAL and UAL) and none of this debate really impacts the investment decision on the LCC/ULCC stocks (JBLU, ALK, ALGT, ULCC, LUV) that have limited exposure to corporate. As a result, we continue to remain bullish on the US Airline stocks. We will closely watch the progression of the COVID variant but if we do not see incremental lockdowns or steps backward by Labor Day (Sept 7), we expect corporate travel to recover quickly after that.

“The U.S. will not lift international travel restrictions at this time due to the Covid-19 Delta variant. The U.S. announced earlier this week that it will not lift any existing travel restrictions “at this point” due to concerns over the highly transmissible Covid-19 Delta variant and the rising number of U.S. coronavirus cases. According to a White House official, cases of Covid-19 are rising within the U.S., particularly among those who are unvaccinated and appear “likely to continue to increase in the weeks ahead.” This comes a week after the Biden Administration said U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least August 21st, despite Canada announcing it will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated Americans beginning on August 9th. In early June, the Biden Administration formed expert working groups with Canada, Mexico, the European Union and the U.K. to determine how to best reopen international borders safely; however, the White House official stated that any decision to lift restrictions “has to be a sustainable decision” going forward. Although international travel restrictions remain in place for now, many U.S. airlines stated that the Delta variant has not had much of an impact on domestic leisure bookings. During an earnings conference call, UAL’s management said the company hadn’t seen “any impact at all on bookings” due to the Covid-19 Delta variant, and ALK’s management noted that they have seen “no slowing signs of demand,” but that they are continuing to watch trends carefully.”

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BOEING

Boeing released its first Sustainability Report. In the report, the company shares its vision for the future of sustainable aerospace, establishes broad sustainability goals and highlights environmental, social and governance (ESG) progress in alignment with global sustainability standards.

“In September 2020, amidst a global pandemic, Boeing formed a Sustainability organization dedicated to advancing our ESG efforts across the enterprise. As we continue on this journey, we are pleased to publish our first comprehensive report, focused on stakeholder responsiveness and data transparency,” said Boeing Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Raymond. “We know there’s still work to do and are committed to communicating our progress and holding ourselves accountable to ensure the aerospace industry is safe and sustainable for generations to come.”

Boeing’s sustainability efforts are organized around four key pillars: people, products and services, operations and communities. In 2020, highlights across these four pillars included:

Establishing six broad new sustainability goals in alignment with our key sustainability priorities and stakeholder interests.

Defining the company’s vision for the future of sustainable aerospace through fleet renewal, network operational efficiency, renewable energy and advanced technology.

Committing to deliver commercial airplanes capable of flying on 100% sustainable fuels by 2030.

Partnering with Etihad Airways on the 2020 ecoDemonstrator program, which tested sustainable technologies on one of the airline’s new 787-10 Dreamliners.

Implementing digital engineering tools on the T-7A Red Hawk program, achieving a 75% increase in first-time engineering quality and an 80% reduction in assembly hours.

Advancing flight tests for Cora, an all-electric, self-flying air taxi developed by Boeing and Kitty Hawk joint venture Wisk.

Responding to COVID-19 by executing airlift missions to transport supplies, providing community vaccination sites and minimizing air travel health risks through the Confident Travel Initiative.

Establishing a 20-member Racial Equity Task Force to represent diverse viewpoints and amplify all voices at Boeing.

Setting 2030 environmental performance goals to reduce emissions, waste, water use and energy consumption.

Achieving net-zero carbon emissions at work sites, while reducing energy consumption by 12%, water use by 23%, solid waste by 44% and hazardous waste by 34%.

Attaining the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for Sustained Excellence every year since 2010.

Contributing $234 million in community giving, working with 13,400 community partners and volunteering 250,000 hours.

United Aviate Academy has selected Boeing to provide a comprehensive suite of training tools, materials and digital solutions to develop and provide early career training to United Airlines’ next generation of pilots. The companies commemorated the five-year training agreement with a ceremonial signing event at EAA AirVenture.

The comprehensive training package of courseware and multimedia materials spans Boeing’s portfolio of service offerings, including its Jeppesen and ForeFlight solutions, and provides United Aviate Academy with the tools to help cadets master key concepts and information needed to confidently and safely pilot aircraft.

“We are pleased to extend our long-term partnership with Boeing to help train the next generation of United pilots,” said Bryan Quigley, United’s senior vice president of flight operations. “Boeing’s unique suite of tools and materials will help provide effective training for Aviate pilots who are working to meet future air travel demands and uphold United’s high standards of safety and excellence.”

The agreement includes:

• Initial cadet assessment materials with accompanying online courses and e-books, supporting higher program completion rates through analytics of data-driven assessments
• Jeppesen Academy courseware, textbooks and digital learning materials for private, instrument, commercial, multiengine and instructor training
• The ForeFlight Mobile integrated flight app for pilots equipped with Jeppesen NavData®, electronic charts and Airway Manuals, a one-stop shop for flight tasks like routing flights, planning and filing flight plans, managing electronic charts and maps, and gathering destination and weather information
• Pilot supplies including Bose headsets, computers, student flight bags, logbooks and more
• GPS NavData for the United Aviate Academy fleet

“We are fully committed to providing United Aviate Academy—and all of our customers—with tailored, high-quality training solutions that enhance safety and meet the learning and development needs of pilots from all backgrounds,” said Chris Broom, vice president of Training Solutions, Boeing Global Services. “By leveraging our broad portfolio of solutions, we offer customers tremendous value in delivering efficient, effective training throughout the pilot training life cycle.”

Following the agreement signing, Boeing further demonstrated its support for the program and its commitment to diversity by presenting Delia Nina Nava with a scholarship to United Aviate Academy to join a future pilot training class. Nava is a Hispanic woman from Houston with a passion for aviation and aspirations of becoming an airline pilot. She is a graduate of Ross Shaw Sterling Aviation High School and a student at the University of Houston.

Boeing produced their first sustainability report this week and you can read it here: Boeing: 2021 Sustainability Report Interestingly, they want to deliver commercial planes flying on sustainable fuels by 2030. Here is another bit of data on the report: Boeing’s 1st Sustainability Report: Here’s What You Need To Know – Simple Flying

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OTHER NEWS

• A lot of folks have quotes but this one is really significant and important. Steve Jobs, a person we have forever respected, had a remark we think makes a lot of sense: “You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it is worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains!” (Editor’s Note: Also, we should probably mention that Robin Williams said something that means a lot to us as well: “Being a famous print journalist is like being the best-dressed woman on the radio.”)
• If Boeing regressions have you wondering, you need to read this story because there are a number of downward changes that might be a clue to what is going on and what might happen! Boeing ($BA) News: Talent Loss to Amazon, SpaceX Hurts Turnaround Prospects – Bloomberg

NetForecast

In advance of a Department of Transportation proposal to mandate fee refunds when inflight Wi-Fi “doesn’t work,” NetForecast is launching a new service to independently and proactively monitor passenger Wi-Fi experience quality—enabling airlines to identify and correct Wi-Fi performance issues. The service, QMap® Inflight Internet Experience Monitoring, continuously measures the passenger Wi-Fi experience from personal electronic devices, and reports on end-to-end network experience quality in near real-time. The service notifies airlines when the passenger experience degrades below pre-determined thresholds, and locates problem areas along the network path within the aircraft Wi-Fi network, between the aircraft and the ground station, and beyond that to intermediate networks and network destinations.

End-to-end monitoring is important because the quality of a passenger’s Wi-Fi experience depends on the aggregated quality of service delivered by all elements along the network path. NetForecast’s QMap service is calibrated to reflect realistic performance expectations for each network technology (e.g., geosynchronous satellite, cellular, low earth orbit satellite, etc.).

According to Rebecca Wetzel, NetForecast President: “As members of the Airline Passenger Experience Association’s Connectivity Working Group, we collaborated with the industry to create a specification that provides guidance for measuring and assessing passenger inflight Wi-Fi experience quality. We are excited to put that industry guidance to work with our new QMap service to empower airlines to deliver the best possible experience to their Wi-Fi connected passengers.”

NetForecast is a privately held, woman-owned company headquartered in Charlottesville VA. It is an independent provider of internet performance measurement and data usage accuracy audit solutions. NetForecast customers provide Internet service to over 60 percent of US broadband Internet subscribers.

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Bluebox

Bluebox Aviation Systems has been granted an Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the aircraft-powered version of its wireless in-flight entertainment (W-IFE) system, Bluebox Wow. Issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to Design Organization Approval (DOA) holder Aerospace Engineering Solutions, the STC applies to all Airbus A320 Family aircraft. The STC was approved after testing was completed with a soon-to-be-announced customer in the Asia-Pacific region.

“The granting of this STC is an exciting and major milestone for us as we continue to sign up new airline customers eager to return to the business of delivering exceptional digital in-flight experiences to their passengers,” said James Macrae, CTO, Bluebox. “Our original version of Bluebox Wow, with its swappable battery system, has been a game-changer in the IFE market, introducing a cost-effective way to deploy IFE to airlines that might never have considered it before due to the high costs involved with installing fully embedded systems. But as the demand for W-IFE has grown – in conjunction with the development of our more powerful digital platforms that our customers can use for engaging their passengers and earning ancillary revenue – we’re attracting the interest of airlines with larger fleets. By utilizing aircraft power, Bluebox Wow devices can deliver the same digital IFE services without a battery present, eliminating the need for logistics management of batteries, and still offering a considerably lighter and lower-cost system than fully fitted W-IFE.”

Macrae continues: “The STC also includes automatic Pause on PA functionality that pauses playback in the event of announcements from the flight deck or cabin crew. Further, by removing the battery completely from this version of Bluebox Wow, we avoid the need for complicated battery/flight status logic and control and the possible risks involved with that – making it much easier to ensure our system is DO-178 compliant. It’s a simple and elegant approach.”

Bluebox Wow provides wireless content streamed to passenger devices in any aircraft cabin, including a wide range of film, TV, audio, games, and other digital content. These services can be offered to passengers on a complimentary basis or paid for via payment card or voucher access with no cabin crew interaction required. Bluebox also offers onboard retail services, including the ability to order and pay for products and services via passenger devices with full inventory synchronization, in parallel to traditional sales from galley carts via cabin crew point-of-sale devices. In addition to onboard touch-free sales, Bluebox’s retail solutions also enable pre-paid (booking path) purchases. With a remarkably low cost of ownership, Bluebox Wow is a discrete, lunchbox-sized unit, typically stowed securely in overhead bins.

With battery- and aircraft-powered versions of Bluebox Wow, the linefit option for Bluebox’s W-IFE platform available on Airbus OSP and retrofit on traditional avionics grade hardware, Bluebox’s range of hardware options for its digital in-flight platform ensures the greatest choice and flexibility are available to customers, especially those with different aircraft types and fleets of any size. This also means that Bluebox can deploy a consistent customer experience across a fleet – whether that be to provide more traditional entertainment content, offer food & beverage or retail sales on board or through the passenger journey, or deliver other innovative services designed to engage passengers and build customer loyalty as well as increase ancillary revenue.

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GOGO

Cirrus Aircraft has selected Gogo Business Aviation’s  AVANCE L3 system to be installed as a factory option on new production G2+ Vision JetTM aircraft.

The G2+ Vision Jet is the first “Personal Jet” aircraft to add Gogo’s inflight connectivity service. Cirrus joins Gogo’s distinguished list of aircraft manufacturers that offer Gogo equipment from the factory, which includes all nine of the largest manufacturers of business aviation aircraft in the world.

“The need and desire to be connected in flight is not bound by aircraft size or aircraft mission – everyone who flies in their own aircraft deserves to have fast, reliable connectivity,” said Mark Sander, vice president of OEM sales for Gogo. “The AVANCE L3 is clearly the best solution for personal jet owners and operators who want, fast, reliable inflight connectivity on the most reliable network for aviation.”

Cirrus’s selection of the AVANCE L3 highlights the increasing desire for connectivity on aircraft of all sizes and mission types. The L3 delivers the power of the AVANCE platform in the lightest and smallest form factor available, enabling passengers and crew to be connected to email, browse the web, or access AVANCE L3’s other value-added features such as moving maps, news feeds, and flight information.

“Last year Gogo lowered its minimum service level from 10,000 feet AGL (above ground level) to 3,000 feet AGL which provides additional connectivity time to each flight,” Sander continued. “Today we’re seeing a trend where connectivity has become increasingly important on smaller aircraft such as light jets and turboprops.”

Launched in 2016, the Vision Jet defined a new category in aviation – the Personal JetTM – with its spacious pilot and passenger-friendly cabin featuring panoramic windows, reclining seats, comfortable legroom for five adults and two children and the only turbine aircraft with a whole airframe parachute system as standard equipment. The G2+ Vision Jet is a versatile single-engine jet capable of adapting to the unique needs of business and personal travel missions.

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Boeing

Boeing, SkyNRG and SkyNRG Americas announced a partnership focused on scaling the availability and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) globally. Boeing will also invest in SkyNRG Americas’ SAF production project, for which Alaska Airlines is a previously announced partner.

“Sustainable aviation fuels are safe, proven and offer the greatest potential to reduce our industry’s carbon emissions in the near, medium and long term,” said Boeing Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Raymond. “This partnership is an important milestone on our journey to decarbonize aerospace, while ensuring that its societal and economic benefits are available to people everywhere.”

Boeing, SkyNRG and SkyNRG Americas will work together to accelerate SAF development globally, focusing on scaling production capacity, building awareness and engaging stakeholders throughout the value chain, including airlines, governments and environmental organizations.

“We are extremely proud to take the longstanding Boeing-SkyNRG relationship to this new level. We have always been strong collaborators and through this teaming effort, we’re strengthening our relationship even further,” said Maarten van Dijk, Managing Director of SkyNRG.

As a leader in the SAF industry, SkyNRG sources and supplies SAF, develops production capacity, advises on policy decisions, manages corporate SAF programs and takes the high road on sustainability. SkyNRG Americas is a new company focused on growing SAF production in North America. Its first dedicated U.S. production facility for SAF will supply airports and airlines on the West Coast. Boeing’s investment in the project includes the advance purchase of SAF from this facility for use in company flight tests and other operations.

“We are thrilled to be in this partnership with Boeing and grateful for their leadership by providing an advance payment for SAF from our first facility. With this teaming agreement, SkyNRG Americas will be able to accelerate our efforts to expand the SAF industry throughout North America,” said John Plaza, CEO of SkyNRG Americas.

The partnership builds on Boeing’s long-term industry leadership and investment in SAF. The company began SAF test flights in 2008 and helped gain approval for commercial use in 2011. The Boeing ecoDemonstrator uses SAF for all flight test programs and completed the world’s first commercial airplane flight using 100% SAF in 2018. Earlier this year, Boeing committed that its commercial airplanes will be capable and certified to fly on 100% SAF by 2030.

“Our industry will need a strong, reliable supply of SAF to address climate change and drive adoption,” said Raymond. “We aspire to partner and help create that supply.”

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Other News

• If you are into AI or want to be, we strongly suggest subscribing to INSIDE AI. Here is last weekend, July 18 issue – Inside AI – July 18th, 2021

PANASONIC

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) has completed the latest phase in its continuing investment in in-flight connectivity with the activation of extreme high throughput (XTS) satellite coverage over China and the Asia Pacific region.

The beam over Asia Pacific from APSTAR 6D, Panasonic Avionics’ first XTS satellite, has gone live through teleports in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Perth. This will enable airlines based in the region and others flying over it to benefit from its greatly enhanced satellite capacity.

APSTAR 6D went into its first stages of operation in early 2021 and is now providing airlines flying across Asia Pacific with multiple gigahertz of new Ku-band capacity over China, including high-density air traffic routes across East Asia using XTS spot beams. APSTAR delivers 90 beams across the whole region, and 50 Gbps in capacity.

The satellite is an integral part of Panasonic Avionics’ third-generation communications (Gen-3) network of high speed, high bandwidth Ku-band satellites. The network, covering over 99% of all routes, places capacity where it is most needed to meet the growing needs of airlines and their passengers.

Panasonic Avionics’ Gen-3 network supports improved airline and passenger experiences including faster internet, video streaming, VoIP applications, improved picture quality and broader channel choice, 4G phone services, and greater bandwidth for crew applications.

Jeff Sare, Vice President of In-Flight Connectivity Services at Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said, “China and the Asia Pacific region is a strategically important market for Panasonic Avionics and a key priority in our roadmap for introducing increased satellite capacity. Chinese airlines can now enhance their in-flight experience and brand value by enabling their passengers to enjoy our industry-leading connectivity in the skies.”

Panasonic Avionics is planning a range of further investments in in-flight connectivity in the next two years. These include the increase in satellite coverage over Russia this month with SES NSS-12 satellite and further capacity over the Middle East this autumn with the addition of the SES12 HTS satellite capacity.

The next XTS satellite to join Panasonic Avionics’ Gen-3 network, Eutelsat 10B, is due to launch next year, entering into service in 2023. It will provide enhanced connectivity to airlines and their passengers flying over Europe and the Middle East.

These developments are all integral to Panasonic Avionics’ strategy of utilizing the right satellite from the right partner to meet the evolving market demand and provide superior connectivity services and coverage across the globe.

Over 2,500 aircraft are now connected to the Gen-3 network, with a total of over 3,750 aircraft from around 100 airlines committed to Panasonic Avionics’ in-flight connectivity service. These include over 800 aircraft from 21 Asian carriers, including China Eastern, Air China, China Southern, and Xiamen Airlines.

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SATCOM DIRECT

Satcom Direct (SD), the business aviation solutions provider, has signed a preferred supplier agreement with Luxaviation Group, one of the world’s largest business aircraft and helicopter operators. The new three-year arrangement begins with immediate effect and provides best-in-class technical connectivity solutions, superior value, and award-winning customer service to the global Luxaviation fleet.

All Luxaviation customers may now benefit from SD’s advanced technology, tailored service packages and global 24/7/365 customer support, to receive an unparalleled connectivity experience supporting streamlined functionality. The scalable offering meets the specific connectivity needs, missions, and budget requirements of each individual Luxaviation aircraft.

The agreement provides access to high-speed data to support a plethora of inflight requirements including voice, message, email, and internet services, video conferencing, multiple streaming, and high-data demand applications. In addition, SD FlightDeck Freedom® brings datalink functionality, improving situational awareness and flight deck communications for the crew. Supporting the arrangement Inmarsat’s Jet Connex and SwiftBroadband services enhance passenger productivity, or relaxation, through high-speed cabin WiFi capabilities, as well as bolstering crew operations.

SD is also working with Luxaviation to optimize the expanding suite of SD Cybersecurity solutions, accessed through SD Pro®, the digital flight operations dashboard. “Finalizing this agreement with Luxaviation highlights that our approach of creating tailored solutions, blended with genuinely expert customer service is extremely important to the end clients. We recognize value is not simply budget related, and the ability to package services to effectively support the differing requirements of an international mixed fleet, demonstrates the many advantages of the SD eco-system,” says Michael Skou Christensen, Senior Vice President, SD International. “SD puts customers first in terms of productivity, entertainment, and flight efficiency, and Luxaviation recognizes the significance of this to their successful operations. It is a tribute to our global team, their hard work, and dedication, that this deal has been ratified, and I’m extremely proud of them. I know that the team is as excited as I am to build upon this relationship and begin the next chapter with Luxaviation.”

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THALES

Thales with its Partner, Airfree, Transform the Onboard e-Shopping Experience on Singapore Airlines A350 fleet.

• Through the Thales and Airfree partnership, Singapore Airlines is the first airline to offer live e-shopping onboard via KrisShop.
• Singapore Airlines customers now have access to the world’s largest seatback shopping experience at 30,000ft.
• Passengers can shop from the comfort of their seat with multiple delivery options – to home or on their connecting or returning flight.

The eShopping platform is seamlessly integrated with KrisShop offerings into one marketplace available on Singapore Airlines connected seatback inflight entertainment provided by Thales. Passengers can browse and purchase items from a single place with real time payment, wide range of offerings and attractive promotions. Passengers can shop from the comfort of their seat with multiple delivery options – to home or on their connecting or returning flight.

The digital onboard shopping marketplace eliminates the logistics, weight, and resources required to support traditional onboard shopping, while tremendously increasing passenger choice. With proprietary bandwidth optimization technology, the Airfree onboard hosted eShopping platform drastically reduces satellite data consumption compared to traditional platforms.

This seatback shopping solution entered into service on June 28, 2021 and will be progressively rolled out on selected Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 aircraft.

“Thales is excited to continue the growth of its partnership with Singapore Airlines and KrisShop through innovations that extend the benefits of the open AVANT in-flight entertainment platform by connecting with a robust network of digital partners such as Airfree – unlocking significant value from their IFE investment. Our airline partners and their passengers expect more from their inflight entertainment system and Thales is working diligently to deliver on these expectations, and more.” Cedric Rhoads, Vice President, Product Policy, Thales InFlyt Experience

Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority has awarded Thales a contract to support the modernization of the Greek civil aviation Navigation Aids infrastructure. This turnkey contract includes the supply of 10 Doppler VHF Omnidirectional Range (DVOR), 13 Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) and 6 Instrument Landing systems (ILS). It also comprises of the installation of the instruments on 18 different sites across the country, from remote mountain peaks, to major hubs such as the Athens International Airport.

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SMARTSKY

We understand that the FCC has given approval to the the SmartSky ground-based remote radiohead for their next-gen, low latency air-to-ground network. The system will launched later this year.

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AIRBUS

AIRBUS delivered 297 aircraft (21 A220s; 237 A320 Family; seven A330s; 30 A350s; two A380s) in the first half of 2021 versus 196 in the first half of 2020, and 389 in the first half of 2019.

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BOEING

BOEING delivered 156 aircraft (113 737s; two 747s; 13 767s; 14 777s; 14 787s) in the first half of 2021 versus 70 in first half of 2020, and 239 in the first half of 2019.

Boeing and BBAM Limited Partnership (BBAM) announced that the lessor is expanding its 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter fleet with 12 additional firm orders. The agreement brings BBAM’s 737-800BCF orders and commitments to 31 as e-commerce and express cargo markets continue to drive strong customer demand for freighters. BBAM will be the first customer to have a 737-800BCF converted at Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales (COOPESA), a Costa Rica-based maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider. In May, Boeing announced it would open two conversion lines at COOPESA in 2022.

In a separate deal announced in January, BBAM placed six firm orders and six options for the 737-800BCF.

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OTHER NEWS

• We came across 47 travel quotes by the late, food genius, Anthony Bourdain, and if you like to travel, you may relate to some of his brilliant observations. For example: “Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” Anthony Bourdain Quotes That Will Inspire You to Travel More, Eat Better, and Enjoy Life | Travel + Leisure
• The latest US new Biden Admin wants airlines to refund fee’s if IFE is unavailable in his sweeping 72 initiative order in the US. Biden administration wants to make airlines refund fees if bags are late or inflight WiFi is broken – The Washington Post We note that the unfilled FCC top position is next to be done for more control as the FCC is locked up at this time. Stay Tuned!
• In case you were not aware of it, the folks at NASA are planning a living quarter on the moon – or just above it at first! NASA has awarded a contract worth $935 million to Northrop Grumman to build and integrate the first habitation module for the lunar Gateway. NASA awards contract to Northrop Grumman to build Gateway module – SpaceNews

Morgan Stanley Research: United Airlines

UAL’s analyst day outlined the company’s plan to catch up to peers on fleet age and gauge by placing the largest aircraft order in its history. 2026 financial targets look constructive but they may seem a long way off to airline investors right now and supply concerns may start brewing.

UAL is preparing for a post-pandemic airline industry by placing the largest aircraft order in its history. The order for 270 planes (200 Boeing 737 MAX 10 and 70 Airbus A321 neo) will join the fleet between 2023 and 2026. They will largely replace the company’s small, inefficient 50-seater regional aircraft that has been a drag on profitability at its US Domestic coastal and mid-continent hubs. The net result of the replacement will be a ~30% increase in gauge (or number of seats per aircraft) on those routes. Mgmt. also issued LT (2026) financial guidance including ASM growth of 4-6% CAGR, TRASM 1% below 2019, CASMxF 8% lower than 2019, EBITDA margin of ~16.0% in 2023 and ~20.0% in 2026 (vs. 15.7% in 2019), adjusted pre-tax margin ~9.0% in 2023 and ~14.0% in 2026 (vs. 9.4% in 2019) as well as 2026 net debt slightly below 2019 levels.

Morgan Stanley believes UAL is doing absolutely the right thing…but that does not mean that the path is not going to be tricky/painful. This is a bold move from UAL – a little over a year removed from sliding into the chair, CEO Scott Kirby made the second decisive offensive move of his tenure (the first being permanently eliminating change fees in Aug 2020). While there is likely never going to be a “good” time for an airline to spend ~$40 bn on capex to buy 270 planes (20% of total current fleet) over a 5 year period, MS believes now is probably the best time to do it. Near-term macro risk appears relatively low, there is a lot of pent up demand with a strong consumer, the balance sheet is still carrying excess (gross) liquidity, the fleet renewal will drive operating cost savings (esp. if fuel continues to rise), new planes are cheap (and so is money) and the new capacity could help drive share gains (or at least defend vs. peers). MS believes it may have been too late to start catching up to peers on the aging fleet if UAL waited until the balance sheet was normalized 3-4 years from now. The biggest question on investors’ minds is likely to be – this is a big capacity increase…what happens if it doesn’t go according to plan? In the event of a macro recession or new black swan event, mgmt. has a Plan B. “Only” 84 of the 270 plane order is committed by 2023, with the rest coming 2024-26. Mgmt. believes that it has plenty of flexibility with the 2024+ orders to avoid putting pressure on capacity/TRASM and has the option to accelerate retirements as well.

MS remains EW. Morgan Stanley (MS) continues to remain bullish on the pace of the traffic recovery in US Domestic and they believe Corporate and International will catch up and normalize by late 2021/early as well. This rising tide will lift all boats including the Legacies/UAL esp. as International and Corporate comes back. Add in structural cost savings, a manageable fuel price environment, potential for deleveraging and investor sentiment that still appears to be subdued/out-of-favor and we think the setup at UAL is quite favorable. There is no doubt that with this past week’s announcement the company is clearly all-in betting on a recovery – particularly in corporate – which MS agrees with and think is the right move but the market may remain skeptical for some time and continue to gravitate toward LCC/ULCC stories that do not have as much corporate/international and balance sheet risk for now.

What does this mean for the industry? The announcement likely has something for both the bulls and the bears. Bulls will like the bold decision that shows that the airlines are coming out of the shadow of the pandemic and see blue skies ahead. The decision also makes financial sense in that UAL could not have put off this decision for much longer and will likely see operating cost, efficiency and market share gains from this. Investors should also be glad that a Legacy is going up toward a premium product instead of initiating an industry race to the bottom on price. Bears, on the other hand, will point out the ~30% increase in capacity which together with all the other capacity increases we have seen from the LCCs/ULCCs so far is likely to drive a lot more capacity in the 2023-24 timeframe, which will bring inevitable pressure on pricing. For now, we believe the bull arguments are more tangible and measurable than the bear arguments, but will keep a close eye on developments.

Model and PT. UAL’s 2023 and 2026 guidance comes in mostly consistent with MSe on TRASM, CASMxF and margins but is approx. 10% higher than us on ASMs. This is a bit of a surprise given MS’s bullish views (and numbers) on a traffic rebound vs. the street. MS updated FY22/23 EPS goes to $5.57/$10.72 from $4.18/$9.82 prior largely driven by the higher ASMs. However, our PT remains unchanged at $70 as the higher capex is a drag on our DCF. Our PT is ~33% above the current stock price – this is good upside but about mid-pack within the Airlines coverage and we see risk-reward as balanced, which keeps us EW.

What does this mean for the industry? The announcement likely has something for both the bulls and the bears. Bulls will like the bold decision that shows that the airlines are coming out of the shadow of the pandemic and see blue skies ahead. The decision also makes financial sense in that UAL could not have put off this decision for much longer and will likely see operating cost, efficiency and market share gains from this. Investors should also be glad that a Legacy is going up toward a premium product instead of initiating an industry race to the bottom on price. Bears, on the other hand, will point out the ~30% increase in capacity which together with all the other capacity increases MS has seen from the LCCs/ULCCs so far is likely to drive a lot more capacity in the 2023-24 timeframe, which will bring inevitable pressure on pricing. For now, MS believes the bull arguments are more tangible and measurable than the bear arguments, but will keep a close eye on developments.

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MEGACONSTELLATIONS & SATELLITE FALLOUT

One of our readers sent us some stories on what he called an “eye opener” batch on plans to launch an unimaginable number of satellites potentially causing a real headache for everybody…including flying aircraft. Here are a few comments from the first article we thought painted a picture of the issue: “The problem is that there are now plans to launch about 55,000 satellites,” Boley said. “Starlink second generation could consist of up to 30,000 satellites, then you have Starnet, which is China’s response to Starlink, Amazon’s Kuiper, OneWeb. That could lead to unprecedented changes to the Earth’s upper atmosphere.” Further, “Megaconstellation operators, inspired by the consumer technology model, expect fast development of new satellites and frequent replacement, thus the high amount of satellites expected to be burning in the atmosphere on a daily basis.” Not everybody, especially astronomers and folks in the space community were too happy: “However, earlier this year, the International Astronomical Union asked a specialized United Nations’ committee to protect the pristine night sky against light pollution from megaconstellations.” We included below some of the articles/links about issues, but note, the rapid and multiple satellite fallouts will no doubt affect the sky visibility…not to mention aircraft flights. See if you agree.

• Air pollution from reentering megaconstellation satellites could cause ozone hole 2.0 | Space
• Spacex-Starlink Megaconstellation
• Starlink Satellite Reentry
• Amazon-Kuiper Megaconstellation
• FD Intelligence

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BOEING

The Boeing Company named Brian West as the company’s executive vice president and chief financial officer effective August 27, 2021. In this role, West will lead all aspects of Boeing’s financial strategy, performance, reporting and long-range business planning, as well as investor relations, treasury, controller, and audit operations. West will also oversee the company’s business transformation efforts and will have executive responsibility for the company’s global financing arm, Boeing Capital Corporation. He will report to Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun and will serve on the company’s Executive Council. “Brian is the ideal executive to serve as Boeing’s next CFO given his significant financial management and long-term strategic planning experience in complex global organizations across the aerospace, manufacturing and services industries,” said Calhoun. “I have had the pleasure of working with Brian previously, and he is an exceptional leader whose broad operational expertise and commitment to transparency with stakeholders will advance our efforts as we continue our focus on safety and quality, improving our performance and transforming our company for the future.”

West joins Boeing following a successful and diverse career in senior financial and operational roles spanning several industries, including aerospace, manufacturing, infrastructure, healthcare, global information services, financial and risk management. He has served as the chief financial officer of Refinitiv since 2018, and was previously CFO and executive vice president of Operations for Oscar Health Insurance and CFO and COO of Nielsen. Prior to Nielsen, West spent 16 years at General Electric, where he served as CFO of GE Aviation and CFO of GE Engine Services. His additional finance leadership positions in GE businesses encompassed plastics, transportation and energy.

West is a founding board member of a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to prepare the next generation of diverse female leaders with the skills, community and connections to thrive in the world. He previously was a board member of Future 5, an organization that helps under-resourced students in Stamford, CT reach their full potential. West holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Siena College and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Columbia Business School.

West succeeds Greg Smith, who previously announced his plans to retire, effective in early July. The company has named Dave Dohnalek, currently Boeing’s senior vice president and Treasurer, to the role of interim CFO until West joins the company in late August.

Also, Boeing names Stayce Harris, former U.S. Air Force inspector general and longtime United Airlines pilot, to its board.

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OTHER NEWS

• This video is not really about aircraft, it’s about electric cars and the engineer presenter really has some good thoughts about the E-engine versus gas powered cars. Why are presenting it here? Because the discussion and reasoning about gas versus electricity just may may effect the airplane future – at least, the tech bias may be an issue. (454) Why Gas Engines Are Far From Dead – Biggest EV Problems – YouTube
• Keep your eyes open for un-hackable quantum networks! Researchers create an ‘un-hackable’ quantum network over hundreds of kilometers using optical fiber | ZDNet
• We stumbled across some great video music and thought some our readers might enjoy the skilled folks at the Lexington Lab Band. First, try Country Road: (462) China Grove (The Doobie Brothers) | Lexington Lab Band – YouTube . Next, (460) Hotel California (Eagles) | Lexington Lab Band – YouTube They do country, rock, and about everything else…and they do it well! I know, they are older, some have little hair, but they really play that song! We note that YouTube features some 189 of their tunes. And, if you are a Steely Dan fan, try this one (460) My Old School (Steely Dan) | Lexington Lab Band – YouTube. Like country music? OK, try (462) Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd) | Lexington Lab Band – YouTube If you play theses tunes over your computer speaker you might not be as impressed as we were. Perhaps, the BOSE 500 audio music player connected to our PC was the difference. Anyway, if you say: What has this to do with inflight connectivity? Well, it’s music videos we would like to hear/see on our next flight trip. Finally, here is a link to a story that has more information on the band and their history. Lexington Lab Band Take the Stage at the Lyric Theatre – Hamburg Journal (Editor’s Note: There are 189 songs of theirs available on YouTube!) You Are Welcome!